there is only one good law ever to be created, regulating not only the make, but the servings and the sales period to prevent "piss'" or sour beer from being sold.
I present the Bavarian Purity Law from 1516 (yeast as ingredient not included in the first law, but is mentioned later somewhere around 1550)
We decree, establish and ordain at the behest of the Lords of Bavaria that henceforth in all the land, in the countryside as well as our towns and marketplaces, there is no other policy than this: From Michaelmas until the Feast of St George, one mug or 'head' of beer will not be sold for more than one Munich penny; and from the Feast of St George until Michaelmas, a mug will not be sold for more than two pennies of the same reckoning, and a head for no more than three heller, under pain of penalty. But when one brews any beer (other than Marzenbier), it will under no circumstances be poured or sold for more than one penny per mug. Further we decree that henceforth in all our towns, marketplaces and the whole of the countryside, no beer shall contain or be brewed with more ingredients than
grain, hops, and water. He who knowingly violates these laws will be summarily fined a keg of beer, each time it happens. However, if a publican buys one, two, or three Eimer of beer from a brewery in our towns, marketplaces, or the whole countryside, to sell to the local townspeople, to him alone will it be allowed and permitted to sell mugs and heads of beer for one Heller more than is written above. Also the Lords of Bavaria reserve the right to decree appropriate changes to this decree for the public benefit in the event that strong hardship arises from shortages and price increases of grains (since the seasons and the region and the harvest times in our land can vary); in that event the right to adjust the regulations over the sale are explicitly expressed and established.
Mug/Mass= (Bavarian) 1.069 Liters
Head = round container for fluids, containing slightly less than one Bavarian 'mug'
Heller = Munich half-penny
Eimer/bucket = 60 Bavarian 'mugs' (64 liters)
the law still exists and in order to sell Bier...must be adhered to, all other beer like beverages must be labeled as such, an addendum was created in the nineties to allow "beer" containing artificial flavors and such...
I like local breweries, and have heard that many good beers are served in the south island. I must go on a beer tasting roundtrip eventually.
Bookmarks