On April 23, 1516, the purity law for beer was announced in Germany. Since then, only water, malt, hops and yeast have been allowed to end up in the alcoholic beverage. On this occasion, the day of the beer is celebrated every year. Time to take a closer look at the popular brew. Very few people know these strange facts.
A look at the beer gardens and restaurants in Germany would suggest that the Germans are world leaders when it comes to beer consumption. But far from it: the Czechs are in first place with an average per capita consumption of around 180 liters (as of 2020). Followed by Austria, Poland and Romania. Only in fifth place is Germany with around 92 liters.
A Scottish beer holds the record. With an alcohol content of 67.5 percent, “Snake Vanom” (in English: snake venom) is the strongest beer in the world. According to the brewer, it has a sweet and nutty aroma and an intense finish.
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In order to get the cool beer in the mugs as quickly as possible at the Munich Oktoberfest, the innkeepers at the Paulaner festival tent have come up with something special. A beer pipeline brings the golden drink to the tap at top speed. According to the official Oktoberfest website, the system creates 15 liters per tap within one minute.
The oldest still existing brewery in the world is in Germany, more precisely in Bavaria. The Weihenstephan monastery is in Freising, near Munich. As early as 1040, the Benedictine monks living there received the right to brew and serve beer. But it can be assumed that believers started earlier. Because as early as 768, hops were being grown near the monastery, as can be seen from historical references.
The noble drop called “La Vieille Bon Secours” comes from a Belgian brewery. Lovers can buy a bottle in a London restaurant for the equivalent of around 785 euros. The barley juice has been brewed since 1995, bottled in twelve-litre bottles and has an alcohol content of eight percent.
The barley juice was already known in ancient Egypt – and also very appreciated. The pyramid builders were given two mugs of beer and bread every day. It was also a payment method for officials and soldiers. Researchers later found beer even in graves. Scientists even found a Bronze Age Egyptian brewery in Tel Aviv in 2015. Findings from China suggest the brew was discovered more than 9,000 years ago.
Germany is in the top league when it comes to beer production. According to the Brauer-Bund, there are over 1,500 breweries in 16 federal states. 70 percent of them are in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia. Germany exports 1.5 billion liters abroad every year. The beer capital is Bamberg, with around 60 breweries in the nearby city area – they produce over 400 different varieties
Today, August 5th, is World Beer Day. But which types of beer are searched for most frequently by Germans on the Internet?
Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink in Germany and has a long tradition. Everyone thinks they know everything about it, but myths quickly arise from this. We clarify whether these are correct at all.
This article was written by (amw/spot)
The original of this post “World champion, oldest brewery, beer capital: Seven curious facts about beer day” comes from spot on news.
