Beer ingredients

[Superfly]

Poll question: Beer ingredients

What are acceptable ingredients in beer?

I have the beer purity laws of 1516 taped to my refrigerator to remind me of what proper beer should be....

[foo_bar]

1. give the Belgians some credit

[Superfly]

2. OK, they have some fine chocolate.

But they make beer? (snicker)

[foo_bar]

3. that's so Old Beer

New Beer doesn't believe in discrimination against countries with a raspberry surplus.

[JVS]

5. What they make may be very tasty, but it is not beer

it is Kriek, oh wait that is cherry. Rasberry beer should never be called just beer. It should be called rasberry beer to let the consumer know what to expect. Similarly Wheatbeer is not beer it is Wheetbeer. Just because it isn't beer doesn't mean it isn't good.

[no name no slogan]

12. Oh yes it is! :)

Better ask noted beer critic Michael Jackson about that one. Belgian Lambics and Wheat Beers are technically considered beer. Even though they wouldn't pass the reinheitzgebot (sp?), they're still beer to most beer enthusiasts all over the world.

Besides, who ever said the Germans had the market on beer? It was invented in Mesopotamia. Pilsner, the most popular style, is Bohemian and/or Czech, and I have yet to drink a better pint of beer than the pint of Fullers ESB I enjoyed at a pub on the banks of the Thames in Hammersmith in 1991 (sigh...).

FULL DISCLOSURE: I spent six months after college working at one of the best beer pubs in London after I got out of college in 1991, so my preferences tend to go toward real cask-conditioned British-style Ales and the Belgian Trappist Beers. Gotta hand it to them silent monks...:)

[Superfly]

13. Whereas Hammurabi was the first to codify law

the Germans were the first to codify what the standards for beer are. Like I always say, if it's not Bavarian, it's crap!

[JVS]

15. I like Czech beer too. But for quantity drinking give me a Mass

of Augustiner Edelstoff any day.

[Superfly]

16. Soffa!

Am bestem sauf' i' a' Paar Schwarzbraeu oder Auerbraeu Dunkle'.

[JVS]

17. Schwarzbraeu von Zumarshausen?

http://www.schwarzbraeu.de/intro.htm

In meinmem Wohnheim war es das offizielle Bier der Studentenkneipe.

[Superfly]

21. Bei mir auch!

Haben wir frueher gesprochen? Ich habe im Leitershofen (k. Stadtbergen) aufgewachsen.

[JVS]

23. Wir haben ein Bisschen geprochen.

Ich verweilte etwas Zeit bei der Uni-Augsburg, habe eine Sprachpraxis gemacht! Bayern ist fuer mich eine zweite Heimat.

[Superfly]

27. Ich habe gerade

ein neue Tattoo bekommen...die Augsburger Zirbelnuss und Fahne.

[JVS]

14. The Czechs follow Reinheitsgebot as well

And I would argue that The Reinheitsgebot is the best judge of what is technically beer, because it actually specifies what is and is not beer without leaving loopholes. The other definitions, whatever they may be, are not a clear cut.

[Kellanved]

18. you do have a point

Of course each brew has the same right on the name "beer" - but I think there are a few things that have no place in beer (no, I'm not talking fruit juices here).
In any case: brewing is a way of conserving grains and water developed by almost all cultures.


However you mixed up a few things:
1. Yes: Pils was invented in the bohemian Pilsen, but it was invented by a Bavarian. He applied the Bavarian brewing style, but not the bavarian dark malt. (Czech Pilseners are still among the very best)

The simple reason for the Purity Law and the new brewing style (as most other distinct brewing styles, including sour fruit beers) : the beer keeps fresh longer. The Purity law is the first source actually defining beer - giving a watertight definition and paving the way for the good name of Bavarian (and German) beer.

2. Pils hasn't been the dominant brewing style in Germany for long: until the 70s Export was prefered.

[JVS]

20. Radeberger is a good pilsner of Saxony

[Kellanved]

22. it is

Although it is too bitter for most tastes. I personally like the northern/Dutch or czech beers best and I'm no fan of bavarian brewing. However I acknoledge that they started it and have the best name in this matter.
I won't sneer at a good Alt (not the crap available everywhere: Diebels, but a real Alt in Westphalia like Pinkus) or a Kölsch. Usually I stick to Eastern or Berlin brews: they're cheaper and taste actually very good, if drunk here (they're awful everywhere else :shrug:).

[JVS]

25. I like Schultheiss. Not a big fan of beers from Bremen and Hamburg though

[Kellanved]

26. I don't like Hamburg's dominant brew

Beck's is OK, if cold. And Flensburger is cult.

[JVS]

4. Reinheitsgebot!

If you want to put other stuff in it call it something other than beer, call it malt beverage.

[Kellanved]

7. exactly - please explain that to the EU

As it already has happened with Chocolate ("... makers") the EU wants Germany to stop the Regulation on what is Beer and what is not (malt-beverages). This is because most other European nations allow almost anything in beer and thus can't call their stuff beer on the German market (especially Heineken).

[JVS]

8. It is such an abomination. Europe cannot stand if built on a faulty...

foundation.

The Bavarian beer purity law of 1516 is one of the best laws ever and all of Europe should bask in its rich malty goodness! Either make your beer pure or call it something else! Sooner or later we'll all end up drinking Miller Genuine Draft!

[foo_bar]

9. maybe the word beer is changing

Like the California Champagne growers.

[JVS]

11. Do California Champagne growers use corn syrup?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

6. I'm a purist and went with #1

There are enough varieties of all those ingredients that the combinations are infinite...anything else is something but don't call it beer.

[Padraig18]

10. Easy question.

Being Irish-born, I'm familiar with what REAL beer is. :P

[DrWeird]

19. I pity the fool that don't live in Oregon.

My fridge is always stocked with Deschutes, that's what I drink as a cheap, after work beer. And when I go out... Oh sweet Jesus.

[frylock]

28. moms was kind enough to bring a case of black butte porter..

back from a recent trip to Bend. I'm not particularly fond of Porter, but I wasn't about to pass it up!!

[frylock]

24. other - more freakin hops!!

I do enjoy a good IPA like or .

[Blue-Jay]

29. There are ingredients?

Hell, I always figured that beer was some kind of wonderful, magical element.

<erp>

[LadeJarl]

30. Well, all the american mass produced beer

is NOT beer. It's just a chemical brew with alcohol.

Beer is brewed from Water, malt (wheat, rye, or barley), hops, yeast and nothing else.

Belgian beer is among the best in the world...

[Kellanved]

31. Sorry, that's an oxymoron

Belgian Beer is not brewed from Water, malt (wheat, rye, or barley), hops, yeast and nothing else.

Most Belgian beers contain sugar; many coloring. Moreover Belgium allows many chemicals in Beer.

[Padraig18]

33. Agreed, but...

... there are no flies on Guinness, Harp or John Smith's, either. :)

[Lindacooks]

32. Wild Rice Beer

Don't laugh - back when I drank alcohol, there was this fabulous Wild Rice Beer from a microbrewery that was incredibly good. Nutty, slightly sweet, very rich flavor.

Don't remember if this is it, but gives you an idea:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/rate_results/1178/13271/