Bamberg · Bavaria · Germany · No. 02 of 05 · 9 min read
The Reinheitsgebot at 510 years old
On April 23, 1516, Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria issued a decree regulating beer ingredients. Barley, hops, and water. Nothing else. No other food regulation has survived this long in continuous use.
By Stefan Weber · Bamberg, Bavaria, Germany · Issue 47, Feature 02
I. What the four ingredients do
Barley malt provides fermentable sugars and flavour foundation. Kilning temperature determines colour. Hops contribute bitterness, aromatic compounds, preservative properties. Noble varieties from Hallertau define traditional German beer. Yeast converts sugars to alcohol and produces flavour compounds. Water is the medium — Munich high carbonate, Pilsen very soft. Brewers adjust water chemistry to match the style.
II. The Bamberg exception
Rauchbier uses malt kilned over beechwood smoke. The smokiness is not subtle. People describe it as liquid bacon. Schlenkerla has been brewing in Bamberg since 1405. The current brewery since 1678. The Rauchbier tastes like smoke and malt and time — what traditional brewing produces when allowed to continue without interruption.
III. The craft beer argument
The craft beer revolution exposed the Reinheitsgebot as a limitation — it prohibits fruit, spice, lactose, oats in certain applications. The law served brilliantly for 500 years. Whether it is the right framework for the next 50 is legitimate. What I am not willing to concede is that German beer under the Reinheitsgebot is inferior. A Munich Helles made correctly is one of the most technically demanding and satisfying beers in the world.
IV. What to drink
Munich Helles from Augustiner-Bräu. Paulaner Hefeweizen. Märzen from Hofbräuhaus. Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen with a pretzel, in November, in Bamberg if you can — sitting in the low-ceilinged room of the Gasthaus that has been serving this beer since the seventeenth century.
Recipe — A pairing note
Stefan Weber · Bamberg · there is no home recipe — beer is not made in a home kitchen at this scale
- Helles · Schweinebraten
- Hefeweizen · Weißwurst
- Rauchbier · smoked meat
- Märzen · Oktoberfest
The pairings
- Munich Helles with roast pork — Schweinebraten
- Paulaner Hefeweizen with Weißwurst before noon and a Brezn
- Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen with grilled meats or aged hard cheese
- Hofbräuhaus Märzen with the Oktoberfest table
The method
- Pour the beer correctly — thick persistent foam head, three to four centimetres.
- Serve at 7–8°C, cool but not ice-cold.
- Glass: the Maß (1 litre) in a biergarten, the Weizen glass for Hefeweizen, the Seidla for Schlenkerla.
- Take your time. The beer warms slowly. The slow warming is part of how it is meant to be experienced.
About the contributor
Stefan Weber
Stefan Weber writes about German beer culture and the Reinheitsgebot from Bamberg, Bavaria, Germany. He drinks Schlenkerla Rauchbier in November in the seventeenth-century Gasthaus.
Editor’s notes — the longer view
A note on pairing. Märzen with Schweinebraten. Hefeweizen with Weißwurst before noon. Rauchbier with grilled or smoked meats, or aged hard cheese.
A note on the Maß. The one-litre mug is correct for the setting. The beer warms more slowly. The slow warming is part of how it is meant to be experienced.
A note on the foam. A proper pour has a thick persistent head, 3–4 cm. Not waste — the foam contains aromatics. A Bavarian bartender spends three minutes pouring one Maß.
A note on the temperature. German lager at 7–8°C. Cool enough to refresh, warm enough that malt and hop character is present. American near-freezing is designed to minimise flavour.
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