Purity law, Schmurity law.

[The_Professor]

Something like Braunschweig Mumm could be one of the things the Reinheitsgebot is about.

[mashani]

Why would the Germans ban something that they exported to Britan and made $ on? If Reinheitsgebot was enacted by the Brits, then it would make more sense? The brits kept drinking that stuff - and all sorts of other "ale" as in not "beer" (hopped) substances well into the 18th century, even though Reinheitsgebot would have made it illegal in Germany. The British country folks just kept making it themselves, even if the government didn't approve. They used all sorts of stuff as bittering and flavoring compounds during Elizabethan times. But not hops if it was "Ale".

A British Reinheitsgebot enacted by the common man would have banned hops, or at least taxing them. A British Reinheitsgebot by the royals, would have banned anything BUT hops, to make people buy "Beer" or make it and pay the hop tax. And likely created a bunch more dudes like this guy who tried to blow up parliament:



Although beer (hopped beverage) became mighty popular in the cities and for export, the thoughts written here was still the view of many country folks well up into those times. Although at various times it also had a lot to do with the tax man, not just "opinions on health food". Lots of country folks still brewed ale. Pretty much anyone could get ahold of herbs for bittering. For free, because they just grew like weeds. Free was good. Hops cost money and/or were taxable at times.

"Ale is made of malte and water; and they the which do put any other thynge to ale than is rehersed, except yest, barme, or goddesgood, doth sophysticat there ale. Ale for an Englysshe man is a naturall drinke. Ale muste haue these properties, it muste be fresshe and cleare, it muste not be ropy, nor smoky, nor it must haue no wefte nor tayle. Ale shulde not be dronke vnder 5 dayes olde .... Barly malte maketh better ale than Oten malte or any other corne doth ... Beere is made of malte, of hoppes, and water; it is a naturall drynke for a doche man, and nowe of late dayes it is moche vsed in Englande to the detryment of many Englysshe men ... for the drynke is a colde drynke. Yet it doth make a man fatte, and doth inflate the bely, as it doth appere by the doche mennes faces and belyes"

Andrewe Boorde - A Compendyous Regymentor a Dyetary of helth - 1557

EDIT: Unless we think the British Nobility were in cahoots with the German Nobility, and it was a convoluted way of both preserving wheat and taxing hopped malt products for both of their economic benefits? Who knows... but I've never seen evidence of such cooperation.

[The_Professor]

Why would the Germans ban something that they exported to Britan and made $ on? ...

And yet the Reinheitsgebot is a real thing.
But consider, "the only ingredients that could be used in the production of beer were water, barley and hops."
So mumm is mumm and beer is beer?
Consider that the Reinheitsgebot states that mumm is in no way beer. No wheat or beans and none of that other medley of stuff.
Consider that it would seem mumm was made in Germany both well before and for sometime after the Reinheitsgebot.

[mashani]

Why would the Germans ban something that they exported to Britan and made $ on? ...

And yet the Reinheitsgebot is a real thing.
But consider, "the only ingredients that could be used in the production of beer were water, barley and hops."
So mumm is mumm and beer is beer?
Consider that the Reinheitsgebot states that mumm is in no way beer. No wheat or beans and none of that other medley of stuff.
Consider that it would seem mumm was made in Germany both well before and for sometime after the Reinheitsgebot.

Well the British Nobility considered "Ale" to be in no way beer too, but the British common man back in the day (especially country folk) thought "Ale" was just fine (and in fact more authentically English in many cases). Much like those German folks who continued to brew the Mumm.

I guess the question becomes, did the German monarchy start to tax "Beer" (Reinheitsgebot beverages) like the Brits did for "Beer" (anything with hops)? If so then yes, I do see a common element. But was there collusion, or was it coincidence? (I edited my post above with some other thoughts, we might have cross posted).

[docpd]

Reinheitsgebot is fine as a tradition and if Germans want to keep it as the law, fine by me. However, I have tasted so many great beers with adjuncts and alternative bittering agents. I like the freedom to experiment with different ingredients. As Sam Caligione of Dogfish Head has pointed out there have been beers brewed with ingredients other that the basic 4 for thousands of years. I am not going to lose any sleep over it.