Faith, Beer, and Other Things That Interest Geoff

German Beer Purity Laws Are Overrated

Ok, anytime you throw "German" "beer" and "purity" into the same phrase, you can't help but be a bit squemish. That's understandable.

I'm all in favor of different brewing styles. The all malt, hops, etc. thing has its place. But it doesn't mean that it is necessarily superior to beers which use adjuncts like fruit or flaked maize, etc.

Faced with such massive quantities of beer, Germans don't shy away from blatantly lying to get you to consume your fair share. For example: "German beer contains no chemicals or preservatives so you won't get a hangover." The editors here at SPIEGEL ONLINE have hundreds of euros worth of aspirin receipts that prove otherwise. But the quality is indeed excellent and dates back to the first food quality law ever passed, the 1516 Purity Law which limits beer ingredients to water, hops, malt and yeast.

At the time, I understand why this would be important. Who knows what they would put into beer around 1516?

Hat tip to Greg.