23 Apr: How To Brew Beer in Bavaria 🍻
Duke Wilhelm IV issued what later became known as the Reinheitsgebot – the decree setting out that Bavarian beer should be made using only water, barley and hops – on 23rd April, 1516.
Although the famous “purity” clause occupies only a small part of the original document, the law helped improve drink quality, and remains in place today as a powerful marketing tool, shaping global perceptions of German beer.
In this tasty episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain why yeast wasn’t included in the original law; consider some of the alarming ingredients that were once added to alcohol (henbane, thorn apple, and even soot); and reveal where the word “lager” comes from…
Further Reading:
• ‘German beer: 500 years of ‘Reinheitsgebot’ rules (BBC News, 2016): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36110288
• ‘The best German lagers to buy — and why they’re superior to UK brews (The Times, 2026): https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/food-drink/article/best-german-beers-lagers-to-buy-bbjrv9tts
• ‘What is the German Beer Purity Law? | Made in Germany’ (DW, 2016): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqQcXWmWULU
#1500s #Food #Germany #Legal