Beer in Germany

Key facts and history

The law originally stated that only barley, hops and water could be used for brewing beer.^[3] This Bavarian law became the basis for legislation throughout Germany for 471 years, making it the oldest food-quality regulation in history.^[3] The purity law led to the extinction of northern German spiced and cherry beers.^[3] A later court ruling allowed other ingredients, and the Provisional German Beer Law then permitted certain additional ingredients while maintaining high standards.^[3]

Beer tax is an excise tax levied on beer and mixed beer drinks, with revenue accruing to the federal states.^[4] Home and hobby brewers may produce up to 200 liters per calendar year tax-free.^[4][5] The Weihenstephan brewery, run by a Benedictine abbey founded in 725, has been in operation since 1040 and is widely considered the world's oldest continuously operating brewery.^[6] Oettinger became Germany's top-selling beer brand in 2004, surpassing Krombacher.^[7]

When accompanied by a parent or guardian, individuals aged 14 to 15 are allowed to drink beverages with an alcohol content of up to 1.2%.^[8]

What the cited sources add

A 2008 Der Spiegel article notes that Germans mark the Reinheitsgebot with parties and brewery tours across the country.^[3] The same article states that yeast was not an ingredient in beer production prior to Louis Pasteur's 19th-century discovery of fermentation.^[3] A 2014 HuffPost article describes Munich's beer scene as dominated by seven mega-breweries with a yearly output of 6 million hectoliters.^[9] The HuffPost article identifies Lower Bavaria as a hidden treasure for beer, with the Upper Palatinate home to the legendary Zoigl beer.^[9]

Smaller independent breweries with annual production under 200,000 hectoliters can claim reduced beer tax rates.^[4] A Weizen glass, originating in Germany, is narrow at the bottom and wider at the top, generally holding 500 millilitres.^[10] The customs portal for Germany states that the majority of beers produced there are full-bodied, with an original gravity ranging from 11 to 16 degrees Plato.^[4]