Radeberger Gruppe’s brewmasters view the Reinheitsgebot as a challenge rather than a limitation. “The best beer is one you want another of after finishing.” – Schiedemair
(Anyone can make a tasty burger with 10 ingredients, but how many can do so with 3 or 4?) Additionally, this limited scope of ingredients served to weed out subpar brewers, allowing those with passion and skill to flourish. Before this, additives such as roots, wood shavings, soot, nightshade, and even hallucinogens weren’t uncommon. The short list of permissible ingredients existed to prevent unscrupulous brewers from offering an adulterated, some times down right lethal, product to the public. Later, yeast was added to the list upon discovering and understanding its role in fermentation. This law was put in place to guarantee the purity of German beer (among other things.) Under this law only malt, hops, and water are to be used in the production of beer. Why? The 23rd marked 500 years of Reinheitsgebot (that’s the German Beer Purity Law, to you and I.)Īnd what better way to celebrate than by drinking Radeberger Pilsner Unfiltered “Zwickel” – a brew rarely found available outside the brewery in Radeberg – with the brewmaster himself, Udo Schiedemair at Pier A Harbor House? Now, if you’re like me, German Beer should be celebrated everyday, but this weekend it was extra special. On April 23, we celebrated German Beer Day.