, for export beers, and for different regions.

The basic law now declares that only

malted grains, hops, water and yeast are permitted.[13]

In response to the growth of craft breweries globally, some commentators,[6]:?122?

[14] German brewers,[15] and even German politicians[16] have argued that the
Reinheitsgebot has slowed Germany's adoption of beer trends popular in the rest of
the world, such as Belgian lambics and American craft styles. In late 2015,
Bavarian brewers voted in favor of a revision to the beer laws to allow other
natural ingredients.[10]
History
Predecessors
Sign celebrating the 1487 Munich Reinheitsgebot.

The earliest documented mention of beer by a German nobleman is the granting of a

brewing licence by Emperor Otto II to the church at Liege (now Belgium), awarded in
974.[17] A variety of other beer regulations also existed in Germany during the
late Middle Ages, including in Nuremberg in 1293, Erfurt in 1351, and Wei�ensee in
1434.[18][19]
Broader adoption

The Bavarian order of 1516 formed the basis of rules that spread slowly throughout
Germany. Bavaria insisted on its application throughout Germany as a precondition
of German unification in 1871. The move encountered strong resistance from brewers
outside Bavaria, and imperial law of 1873 taxed the use of other ingredients
(rather than banning them) when used by Northern German brewers.[6] It was not
until 1906 that the law was applied consistently across all of Germany,[6] and it
was not formally referred to as Reinheitsgebot until the Weimar Republic.[20]

In 1952, the basic regulation of the Reinheitsgebot were incorporated into the West
German Biersteuergesetz (Beer Taxation Law). Bavarian law remained stricter than
that of the rest of the country, leading to legal conflict during the 1950s and
early 1960s.[20] The law initially applied only to bottom-fermented ("lager")
beers, but brewers of other types of beer soon accepted the law as well.

Outside of Germany, the Reinheitsgebot was formally incorporated in Greek law by

the first Greek king, Otto (originally a Bavarian prince).[21] German brewers at
the Tsingtao Brewery in the German colony in Qingdao, China also followed the law
voluntarily.[22]
Modern changes

In March 1987, in a case brought by French brewers, the European Court of Justice
found that the Reinheitsgebot was protectionist, and therefore in violation of
Article 30 of the Treaty of Rome.[20][21][23] This ruling concerned only imported
beer, so Germany chose to continue to apply the law to beer brewed in Germany.[20]
(Greece's version of the Reinheitsgebot was struck down around the same time.[20])
General food safety and labeling laws may also apply.

After German reunification in 1990 the Neuzeller Kloster Brewery, a former

monastery brewery in the East German town of Neuzelle, Brandenburg, was warned to
stop selling its black beer as it contained sugar. After some negotiations the
brewery was allowed to sell it under the name Schwarzer Abt ("Black Abbot") but
could not label it "Bier". This decision was repealed by the Federal Administrative
Court of Germany through a special permit, and after legal disputes lasting ten
years (known as the "Brandenburg Beer War") Neuzeller Kloster Brewery gained the
right to call Schwarzer Abt "Bier" again.[20]

The revised Vorl�ufiges Biergesetz (Provisional Beer Law) of 1993, which replaced
the earlier regulations, is a slightly expanded version of the Reinheitsgebot,
stipulating that only water, malted barley, hops and yeast be used for any bottom-
fermented beer brewed in Germany. In addition, the law allows the use of powdered
or ground hops and hop extracts, as well as stabilization and fining agents such as
PVPP. Top-fermented beer is subject to the same rules, with the addition that a
wider variety of malted grains can be used, as well as pure sugars for flavor and
coloring.[24]

The law's applicability was further limited by a court ruling in 2005, which
allowed the sale of beer with different ingredients as long as it was not labeled
"beer".[25] The law thus became a labeling standard.

Exceptions to the current rules can be sought, and have been granted to allow
gluten-free beer to be labeled as beer despite the use of different ingredients.
[16]
Use in beer marketing
Some German brewers continue to use the word "Reinheitsgebot" in labeling and
marketing.

Because of strong German consumer preferences, labeling beer as being compliant

with Reinheitsgebot is believed to be a valuable marketing tool in Germany.[20]
German brewers have used the law to market German beer internationally, including a
failed attempt to have the law added to the UNESCO list of intangible cultural
heritages.[26][27] Breweries in Norway often follow the same rules as in the
Reinheitsgebot. Some breweries outside Germany also claim to be compliant to the
Reinheitsgebot as part of their marketing,[28][29][30] such as:

Bierstadt Lagerhaus in Denver, Colorado

WEST Brewery in Glasgow, Scotland
Kloud in Korea
Gordon Biersch in California