The brewery

To satisfy the expectations of our customers, we surround ourselves with specialists at every step; from the selection of flavors, to the shipping, the beer is always the focus. This attention to detail ensures that we deliver only the highest quality of product.

1516, an important date

The edict of Reinheitsgebot was decreed on April 23, 1516 by Duke William IV of Bavaria. It set the standards in the production and marketing of beer. In particular, the text specified that the only ingredients permitted in beer production to be: barley, hops, and water. Yeast was not mentioned in the decree as its existence had not yet been discovered.

This edict has often been explained as an obligation to brew beer with barley, so that wheat could be solely used for bread production during times of famine. This idea; however, ignores the fact that beer at this time in Barvaria was considered a liquid bread, a staple in itself. The purpose behind the law is more likely similar to those enacted at Regensburg in 1453 or Landshut in 149. The aim of these edicts was to impose hops as beer's main ingredient; replacing gruit, a mixture of plants and spices. The importance of this transition to hops likely had two underlying reasons. The first was safety, hops were recognized as safe where as some gruit mixtures contained small quantities of toxic plants such as black henbane. The other reason was for the government to regain complete control over the imposition of beer. The Catholic monasteries, abbeys, and churches for a long time had a monopoly over beer production, this newly decreed law would change that. In 1871, Barvaria was forced to join the German Empire. One of the conditions imposed by Barvaria was that this edict would remain upheld to protect their brewers from the competition they might encounter in the rest of Germany. This edict of 1516 represents the creation of what we know today as the beginnings of a classic beer recipe. We are proud to offer Bier Baron as a quality product born from this rich German history, savoir-faire, and knowledge.