Why German Beer Is So Special | Food Secrets

Oct 30, 2021 | Germany’s beer is famous all around the world. There are between 6000 and 8000 different varieties of German beer, yet they’re all made from the same four ingredients – water, malt, hops, and yeast.

That’s no coincidence, it’s the law! The Reinheitsgebot – Germany’s beer purity regulations – came into effect in 1516 in Bavaria. The southern-German state is home to around half of all the country’s breweries. Of those, around half again are located in Franconia.

The Germans sure love their beer – it’s likely the most popular beverage in the land. The average German drinks some 100 liters of it every year. Intake definitely increases when the Oktoberfest – Germany’s largest festival – is held in Munich. Only two nations drink more beer than Germany; Austria and Czechia.

German master brewer Isabella Mereien, hops farmer Theresa Eisenrieder, and beer sommelier Markus Raupach explain how German beer is made, and how it became such a big deal here.

Report: Ruben Kalus
Camera: Marco Borowski/Rossi Kreuger
Edit: Frederik Willmann
Supervising editor: Elke Schwabor: Elke Schwab