How To Brew Beer in Bavaria 🍻

Duke Wilhelm IV issued what later became known as the Reinheitsgebot - the decree setting out that Bavarian beer should be made using only water, barley and hops - on 23rd April, 1516. Although the famous “purity” clause occupies only a small part of the original document, the law helped improve drink quality, and remains in place today as a powerful marketing tool, shaping global perceptions of German beer. In this tasty episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain why yeast wasn’t included in the original law; consider some of the alarming ingredients that were once added to alcohol (henbane, thorn apple, and even soot); and reveal where the word “lager” comes from… Further Reading: • ‘German beer: 500 years of 'Reinheitsgebot' rules (BBC News, 2016): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36110288 • ‘The best German lagers to buy — and why they’re superior to UK brews (The Times, 2026): https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/food-drink/article/best-german-beers-lagers-to-buy-bbjrv9tts • ‘What is the German Beer Purity Law? | Made in Germany’ (DW, 2016): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqQcXWmWULU #1500s #Food #Germany #Legal Love the show? Support us! Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY… … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content. Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️ The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices