Gesundheit. Schadenfreude. Reinheitsgebot.
German is rarely referred to as a beautiful language, but many consider that last word to be a wonderful thing. It’s the Bavarian “Purity Law,” enacted on April 23, 1516.
--On This Day in History Shit Went Down: April 23, 1516--
Since we’re talking about Germans and purity, I must mention this has nothing to do with ethnicity. It’s about beer. Specifically, the allowable ingredients for making it.
Issued by Duke Wilhelm IV, the law decreed their beer would have no ingredients other than barley, hops, and water. The omission of yeast is a subject of debate. It occurs naturally via the brewing process, and some believe its existence was not yet known. Others contend brewers were well aware of it, because they harvested the fluffy layer at the bottom of the fermenter that was leftover at the end of the brewing process and used it for the next batch. They referred to it as “Zeug,” which means “stuff.”
“Hey Reinhold, you drunk ass motherfucker! Don’t forget to put the Zeug in the next batch.”
It must be noted that this law was initially for brewing lagers; a more complicated process than making ales. At that time, Bavaria was the only place in the world making lagers.
FYI, the rest of “Germany,” which wasn’t really Germany yet, was not impressed. Fucking lager makers, shitting on our ale-making ways. Fuck those guys. You’ve seen guys drink beer and get into fights? These dudes fought about how to make that beer in the first place.
But then, there was unification.
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In 1871 the loose collection of German states became a German empire, but Bavaria said if they didn’t adopt their brewing laws then the rest of Germany could just eat a box of snake cocks. Who knew people could be so uptight about getting fucked up?
It took some time, but by 1906 the law was being applied across Germany, although the name “Reinheitsgebot” didn’t become a thing until the Weimar Republic began in 1918. Since then the law has spread and evolved and been used as a marketing gimmick. Coors Light uses cans that turn blue to sell beer; others use a concept of purity. There is even a brewery in British Columbia that makes a “1516 Lager”.
Please get fucked up responsibly.
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Hi James,
I love your emails. And usually I trust the “facts” in them. But in this email I would like to question your information.
I quote:
“It must be noted that this law was initially for brewing lagers; a more complicated process than making ales. At that time, Bavaria was the only place in the world making lagers.”
Well first of all, there wasn’t any Lager in 1516. Lager became known in the 19th century.
Secondly it is a slap in the face of my father’s ancestors from former Czechoslovakia. My father is actually born in Pilsen where the beer style Pilsener got its name from.
Pilsner Urquell: An old Czech fairy tale « Beer Culture with Des de Moor
https://desdemoor.co.uk/pilsner-urquell-an-old-czech-fairy-tale/
There is also the story that two brewers stole the Pilsner yeast from a Czech brewery in a hollow walking stick. https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/VqABoFJRGL/
I heard that a letter from Sedlmayr exists in the Brewery Museum in Munich where he described how he was left alone in the brewery and so managed to steal the yeast.
Thank you for all your past and future emails. I enjoy reading them
Peter
Australians don’t touch Fosters Lager. Victoria Bitter (VB or Vic Bitter) is far more popular despite me not liking it. I prefer a pale ale. Mind you, I prefer Brown Brothers wines from the great state of Victoria! 🤣