Beer Brewing Laws
In Germany, beer is an important part of culture. There are over 1,300 breweries in Germany, the most in any country in the world. Beer produced in Germany must comply the Reinheitsgebot (German Purity Law) which dictates what ingredients can be used. The only ingredients allowed are "Wasser, Hopfen, und Gerstenmalz "or water, hops and barley malt in English. Cultured yeast was also included in the law after its invention. Today Most breweries in the world have joined the Reinheitsgebot in producing their own beer. Because of this requirement of purity, which has the right until 1988, German beers are known for their quality. There are many types of German beer. Some styles of beer include Altbier, Koelsch, Smoked beer and Weizen. German Helles lagers include, Maerzen Bock, Pilsener, Schwarzbier and Dunkel. The colors, aromas and flavors of each type can vary considerably, but all were drunk in large quantities: only the Czechs and Irish drink more beer per capita than the Germans.
Altbier, primarily in state drinking in the Lower Rhine in Germany is a dark ale that is top-fermented. Its name, sometimes abbreviated Alt, simply means "Old beer". Koelsch is locally brewed in Cologne. It is yellow with a distinct flavor of hops. Smoked beer, which means literally "the smoke beer "is intended to have a smoky flavor and color. Weizen is a beer made from malted wheat, which is sweet in taste and color of light.
Helles is a lager brewed in southern Germany, especially in Munich and the surrounding Bavaria. The name Helles, or Hellbier means "beer light "and has a slightly yellowish color. Maerzen beers are traditionally brewed for the famous Oktoberfest German celebration and are traditionally a red-brown with a malty sweetness. Bock is a dark strong beer flavor in color, brewed in Munich during the winter. Pilsener or Pils is the most familiar of German beers, its flavor is slightly hoppy and less malty than Helles. It was first brewed in the Bohemian town of Pilsen. Schwarzbier, meaning black beer, is a bottom-fermented Lager with a chocolate flavor and dark color. Finally, Dunkel or "dark beer" is a dark lager with a sweet taste.
There are many companies in Germany that produce its more than 5000 brands beer. Some of the major breweries in the north include Beck's, St. Pauli Girl, Bitburger, Oettinger, Warsteiner and Krombach. The South has a high concentration breweries, but most are smaller, locally owned and operated. The Benedictine abbey Weihenstephan in southern Germany supposedly the oldest brewery in the world: it has started producing beer in the year 1040!
Oktoberfest is an annual festival held in Munich, Germany, in the State of Bavaria. It begins in late September and continues for two weeks until the beginning October. Here, people around the world trip to celebrate German beer. More than six million attend the event each year. Only the local Munich breweries are allowed to serve their beers in the tents of large size (Bierzelt). These six breweries are Loewenbraeu, Hofbraeu, Hacker-Pschorr, Spaten, Paulaner and Augustiner. Other cities in the world imitate this fair and hold their own versions of Oktoberfest. Some large cities in the U.S. who hold Oktoberfest celebrations include Appleton, Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Ohio, Hickory, North Carolina and Campbell, California.
Heiner Brau Microbrewery (Part 1)
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