Water, barley and hops – the use of such ingredients for beer production was prescribed by the Bavarian Beer Purity Law issued 500 years ago
“Beer. The Art of Brewing and 500 Years of the German Beer Purity Law” – this is the name of the exhibition, which tells about the development of the brewing industry and the importance that people at different times attached to the “foamy drink with excellent taste,” invented four millennia ago. According to Deutsche Welle, over 300 exhibits are presented in its halls: dishes, equipment of old breweries, various types of beer packaging, documents, advertising posters, as well as interactive kiosks where, sitting at a computer, visitors can not only trace all stages of the brewing process but also virtually try themselves as brewers.
Water, barley malt and hops – the use of such ingredients for beer production was prescribed by the Bavarian law. But what components did German brewers use before its adoption? It turns out that almost every brewer had their own recipe for making beer. And ingenuity knew no bounds. Some added herbs, spices, and even such unsafe ingredients as ox bile – to give the beer a piquant taste and strength.
Beer wort could contain impurities such as snakeweed, soot, gypsum powder, chalk, coal, and even the proverbial spoonful of tar – literally. Needless to say, what people risked by consuming such “hellish cocktails.” Concern for the health of beer lovers prompted the authorities of a number of German cities to strictly prohibit brewers from adding “seeds, spices and reeds” to beer as early as 1453. In special cases, only ingredients such as caraway, juniper, salt were allowed – and even then in minimal quantities. Ignoring these requirements was dangerous: a strict inspector could drop in at any moment, and a fine was unavoidable.
Half a century later, with the entry into force of the Bavarian Beer Purity Law, which clearly established the list of ingredients for this drink, the “creativity” of German brewers was completely put to an end. Those who dared to disobey faced truly draconian punishments: in the worst case, the violator had to drink a barrel of beer made not according to the rules to the bottom.
Beer made “by the law” had its drawbacks: it turned out sour. And later they began to brew it using another component – yeast, which is not only healthy but also, in combination with other additives, gives the beer a pleasant bitter taste.
Today you can buy beer at any time of day and anywhere – in a supermarket, at a gas station, in a hotel, in a restaurant. But in the old days, delivering beer to the consumer was fraught with great logistical problems. In remote areas, barrels of the hoppy drink were transported on horse-drawn carts. The journey one way sometimes took up to seven days.
To prevent beer from spoiling during the warm season, barrels were packed with ice, which was prepared back in winter. When the ice ran out, it was ordered from Norway. True, only wealthy brewers could afford it: ice imported from abroad cost a lot of money. However, the investment quickly paid off: along with bread, beer was among the staple foods of people, and the demand for it was very high. Moreover, beer consumption was considered healthy and even recommended by doctors.
In 1871, German engineer and inventor Carl von Linde developed a special machine for cooling beer – a prototype of modern refrigerators. And since then, brewers have been spared the need to store ice. For them, this was a great relief.
One thousand five hundred breweries are counted today in Germany. They produce about 5,000 different types of beer. There are especially many breweries in Berlin. Residents of each region prefer to drink “their own” beer: Cologne residents – Kölsch, Düsseldorf residents – Alt, Bavarians and Swabians – wheat beer (Weizenbier). So, when ordering beer in a German restaurant, do not forget to specify the specific type. Otherwise, you will definitely be served a local one.