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OHNE BAYERN KEIN BIER – OHNE BIER KEIN BAYERN: 500 JAHRE BAYERISCHES REINHEITSGEBOT
The 500th anniversary of the Bavarian Purity Law was a matter close to the heart of everyone at the Schloss Kaltenberg Group. The book »Ohne Bayern kein Bier – ohne Bier kein Bayern« was published by Günter Albrecht and Luitpold Prince of Bavaria to celebrate this milestone. With over 192 pages, the work demonstrates the importance of the Purity Law in the past and the present with numerous illustrations.
The State Ordinance, which contained the Bavarian Purity Law, was signed by Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria-Munich and his brother, Duke Ludwig X of Bavaria-Landshut, on 23rd April 1516. For the first time it determined fixed brewing times, an upper limit for the price of beer and, most importantly, the restriction to “only barley, hops and water” – the three ‘pure’ ingredients which were from then on intended to be used everywhere in Bavaria to brew the best beer.
Beer is not simply a beverage, it is a cultural asset and a question of faith. In Bavaria, beer is even considered to be the fifth element alongside fire, water, earth and air. 2016 Marked the 500th anniversary of the signing of the famous Purity Law. The world’s oldest food act, which is still valid today, is regarded as the founding document of the Bavarian art of brewing. Without beer, Bavaria would be a completely different state today.
