rcd@opus.UUCP (Dick Dunn) (05/01/84)
<> For all of you in net.consumers just joining us, there's a discussion going on in net.wines about beers that touches on ingredients. Germany has a very significant law about this. From a posting from Archie Larchner: >What makes German beers different is that they are made from malt >(some of it wheat malt in the case of wiessbier), hops, water, and >nothing else BY GERMAN LAW. It is also illegal to import beer into >Germany that does not conform to this law, named the Reinheitsgebot... The significance of this is that it may well be one of the oldest consumer protection laws - and almost certainly is the oldest one still in effect. It took effect in 1516! (The word Reinheitsgebot means quite simply "purity decree".) Check that again - there are only FOUR ingredients in beer. By contrast, in the US, the FDA allows 58 (from my list) additives to beer - some of them are as innocuous as ascorbic acid (good ol' vitamin C). Some, like extract of gentian or grapefruit oil, are just downright strange. But a few are enough to gag an organic chemist. Now, let me be careful about this - just because they're ALLOWED doesn't mean they're USED. In fact, most brewers are pretty careful and keep additives to a minimum. Many SMALL American breweries adhere to the principle of the Reinheitsgebot. -- ...Relax...don't worry...have a homebrew. Dick Dunn {hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd (303) 444-5710 x3086
hgp@houem.UUCP (Howard Page) (05/09/84)
The question is: Are the German brewers allowed to export beer with additives??? 'anyone know the answer? Howard G. Page ..!ihnp4!houem!hgp
rcd@opus.UUCP (Dick Dunn) (05/16/84)
<> >The question is: Are the German brewers allowed to export >beer with additives??? 'anyone know the answer? From _The_World_Guide_to_Beer_ by Michael Jackson: ...When Munich's famous Loewenbraeu brewery mooted the idea that they might be excused the Reinheitsgebot in respect of export, the idea was quashed amid some embarrassment. Purity may be less readily preserved when the good name of Munich's beers is licensed to brewers in other countries... In other words, apparently the Reinheitsgebot applies to beers brewed in Germany regardless of whether they export. Unfortunately, Jackson sees the Loewenbraeu situation from his side of the Atlantic - the German firm no longer exports to the US but rather licenses the right to the name to the Miller Brewing Co. in the US (on which, consider the second sentence of the quote from Jackson:-) I don't have any information on Miller's brewing practices WRT the American version of Loewenbraeu - but Miller has a bad reputation in the brewing industry. (I haven't had any LB since it was turned over to Miller and I managed to find out in time to taste-test the German and American versions. The difference was striking.) [Sorry about the non-umlauts; the name should be Lowenbrau with umlauts over o and a.] -- ...A friend of the devil is a friend of mine. Dick Dunn {hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd (303) 444-5710 x3086
dxp@pyuxhh.UUCP (D Peak) (05/18/84)
--> (I haven't had any LB since it was
-->turned over to Miller and I managed to find out in time to taste-test the
-->German and American versions. The difference was striking.)
-->
--> Dick Dunn
-->
"Striking" , you say striking ? . Pardon me but the difference is
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In all fairness to Lowenbrau drinkers they should have renamed it
" L O W B L O W B R E W "
BTW - The American consumer has suffered similar treatment when led
to a Tuborg(another personal favorite).
Yours disgustedly,
Dave Peak(pyuxhh!dxp)
" I remember the time we were caught in the wilds of Afghanistan .
I lost my corkscrew and we were forced to live on nothing but
food and water for several days ! " - W.C. Fieldsron@brl-vgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (05/21/84)
With respect to Tuborg...I refuse to drink any beer made in Baltimore. -Ron