“We could be happy if the air was as pure as the beer" Richard von Weizsäcker, the German Federal President, said in praise of one of the German’s favourites, the so-called “liquid bread”, an anecdotal synonym for beer. For over 800 years, beer brewing has been regulated by law in Germany. Its origins date back to 1154, when the first penalty was introduced for serving “bad” beer. In 1487, Albrecht IV, the Duke of Upper Bavaria, proclaimed an official regulation, imposing that every beer brewer had to administer the socalled brewer’s oath to the ducal treasurer.

In 1516, the Bavarian Duke Wilhelm IV, enacted an order, today well known as the German Purity Law…..“We especially wish that, from this point on and everywhere in the countryside as well as in the towns and marketplaces, nothing is to be added or to be used in beer other than barley, hops and water….”.

Ever since it has been and remains to be the most important quality characteristic of German beer and is considered worldwide the oldest law on food products. For centuries, the "purity law" has been protecting the consumer against the side-affects of additives such as spices, fruits, toxic herbs and plants, which formerly were frequently a substitute for hops due to their intoxicating and preservative effects. A good beer, however, does not need any additional ingredients...

The Author:
Silke Kenzer
is Product Specialist for Position and Proximity Sensors
at Hans Turck GmbH & Co. KG, Mülheim/Ruhr

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