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First established April 23rd in 1516 in Bavaria, later valid all over Germany.
The purity law had 2 purposes:
1. Guaranteed quality of the brew by excluding ingredients like bile of different animals, herbs, or bark
2. Protection of the bread market. People were so crazy about brewing beer that there was not enough grain left for bread. The wheat prices exploded. The purity law allowed only barley which is not suitable for bread to be used for beer. Only a few monasteries and nobles were allowed to use wheat as well.
All German breweries follow this law. The only modification is that the usage of wheat is allowed. |
