On this day 502 years ago, the German Purity Law, known as the Reinheitsgebot, was signed into law. So, I’m taking a moment to write about what this Old World tradition means to KC Bier Co., in the midst of an ever-evolving American craft beer industry with 6,000+ breweries and an endless array of beer styles and variations.
The mission of the Kansas City Bier Company is to make authentic-tasting German-style bier. German bier is made according to the Reinheitsgebot. Therefore, we adhere to the tenants of the German Purity Law for reasons of authenticity, not because of an obligation to a narrow doctrine that claims that bier can only be made from four ingredients: malt, hops, water and yeast.
I happen to like non-Reinheitsgebot compliant bier. A well-made coffee-chocolate imperial stout is quite delicious. But that is not what we make. We make bier made from 100% malt and hops. Sometimes we’re criticized for our narrow definition of bier because it limits the styles we can brew. I argue the opposite. Because we are one of the few American breweries that adhere to a 502-year-old brewing tradition, few breweries make bier like us.
I am a beer libertarian. People should drink what they want to drink. I am also a craft brewer, and the essence of craft beer is to offer varied and unique styles to consumers. The Kansas City Bier Company offers fresh, well-made bier that fills a unique niche because we follow German brewing traditions, including the Reinheitsgebot.
However, we do not place on our labels “Brewed according to the German Purity Law of 1516” because we cannot on all occasions adhere to some minor requirements of the German definition for “bier.” Because we do not reside in a nation that demands adherence to the Reinheitsgebot, suppliers do not always provide conforming ingredients. For example, our yeast provider propagates yeast with nutrients not made from 100% malt. That is a violation.
We have also on occasion intentionally cellared our bier outside the Purity Law, and in those instances, it is not technically bier by German definition. For example, we have aged bier in oak barrels, which I would interpret as contrary to the Reinheitsgebot because the wood imparts flavor to the bier.
I once asked a German brewing professor if he liked Belgian beer. He said, “Yes, very much, but it is not bier.” He was making the point that Germans have a different definition for bier. Even in Germany, a flavored or adjunct bier can be produced and sold. It just cannot be labeled bier.
Furthermore, the restriction to 4 ingredients means 4 ingredients. Most American brewers do not realize that even common brewing aids like industrial acid, Irish moss, foaming agents, yeast nutrients, and forced carbonation are prohibited by the Reinheitsgebot.
Yes, we have a narrow definition for bier. However, the Reinheitsgebot and other seldom-used traditional German brewing practices (see below) combine to create beer diversity for consumers.
- 100% German malt and hops
- natural carbonation
- decoction mashing
- two-tank fermentation and conditioning
- long lagering times at cold temperatures
We believe that brewing is more than a recipe. It’s also a process developed by tradition and culture. Our bier is based on German ingredients, brewing methods, and traditions that include the Reinheitsgebot. That is our interpretation of bier.
-Steve Holle, Founder/Owner, KC Bier Co.
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For additional reading on the German Purity Law, check out Steve’s full article on the Reinheitsgebot, originally published in Brewing Techniques.
