Bavaria Beer: A Historical Naming Convention

Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a state in the southeast of Germany. It is the largest German state by land area and the second most populous. Bavaria has a distinct culture, largely due to its Catholic heritage and conservative traditions, including its language, cuisine, architecture, festivals, and Alpine symbolism.

Bavaria is renowned for its beer, with almost half of all German breweries located in the state. The oldest still-existing brewery in the world, the Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan, was founded in Bavaria over 1,000 years ago as a Benedictine monastery brewery.

The average Bavarian drinks 150 litres of beer per year, and the state is home to a wide array of brews. So, what are the differences between the Bavarian beer styles, and which is best for you?

The history of the name

Over the centuries, Bavaria underwent various changes and acquisitions, becoming part of the Holy Roman Empire and later gaining independence as the Kingdom of Bavaria after 1806. During this time, the region was ruled by different houses and dynasties, including the Agilolfing, Welf, and Wittelsbach families.

In 1871, Bavaria joined the Prussian-led German Empire, retaining its title as a kingdom. However, this decision was controversial among Bavarian nationalists who favoured independence from the rest of Germany. Finally, in 1949, Bavaria became a state of the Federal Republic of Germany, officially known as the Free State of Bavaria.

Today, Bavaria is the largest German state by land area and the second most populous, with a distinct culture, language, cuisine, and traditions that set it apart from the rest of the country. Its capital and largest city is Munich, which is also the third-largest city in Germany.

The history of the beer

Bavaria, in the heart of Southern Germany, is world-renowned for its beer, and this region has given birth to a wonderful array of brews. The average Bavarian drinks 150 litres of beer per year!

The history of beer in Bavaria goes back to the late Bronze Age, if not further. An earthenware amphora discovered in 1935 in a Celtic chieftain's burial mound in Kasendorf, near the northern Bavarian city of Kulmbach, has been dated to about 800 BCE. It is considered the oldest evidence of beer-making in continental Europe.

In the 1st century BCE, Bavaria was conquered by the Roman Empire. An imperial military camp was built 60km northwest of where Munich sits today, under orders of Augustus Caesar, between 8 and 5 BCE. The camp later became the town of Augusta Vindelicorum, which would become the capital of the Roman province of Raetia. Another fort was founded in 60 CE, west of modern-day Manching, as evidenced by a legionnaire's sandal found near remains of an ancient fort.

Brewing in Central Europe, until the late Roman period, was mostly done by women. While the man of the household tilled the fields of barley, wheat, and oats, the lady of the house attended to both the stew and the brew around the domestic hearth. Her beers were usually flavoured with herbs, known as "gruit", such as bog myrtle, gale, juniper, mugwort, woodruff, and yarrow.

In the 6th century CE, Christianity arrived in Bavaria via Irish missionaries, who established missionary outposts and small monasteries along the old Roman roads. As the monasteries grew, so did their breweries. Over time, brewing knowledge accumulated among the learned and literate cloistered friars, and brewing techniques and beer quality improved. Monks discovered the bitter flower of the hop plant as a perfect beer flavouring and preservative. The oldest written reference to hops is a document from 768 CE found in the Benedictine Abbey of Weihenstephan outside Munich.

The oldest still-existing brewery in the world is the Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan, founded over 1,000 years ago as a Benedictine monastery brewery in 1040 and located on the Weihenstephan hill in Freising, about 40km from Munich.

In 1487, Duke Albrecht IV of the House of Wittelsbach, the ruling dynasty in Bavaria since 1180, forced Munich brewers to take a public oath to adhere to a decree that beer may use only barley, hops, and water. Finally, on 23 April 1516, the Bavarian Duke Wilhelm IV issued the now-famous Reinheitsgebot (Beer Purity Law) for his entire realm. This decree has remained in force ever since and, by 1906, it had become a law for all of Germany, making it the world's oldest food safety regulation.

In 1553, Duke Albrecht V, successor to Wilhelm, went one step further: he forbade brewing altogether between the Feast of Saint George (23 April) and Michaelmas (29 September). This decree had enormous consequences for the entire world of beer. It not only cleaned up Bavarian beer but also inadvertently caused all Bavarian beers henceforth to be lagers, because all ale-making yeasts go dormant below roughly 7°C (45°F).

In 1872, a Bavarian engineer, Carl von Linde, invented a refrigeration system for lagering tanks, which, for the first time, allowed lagers to be brewed all year round, anywhere. The two 16th-century decrees, the Reinheitsgebot and the summer brewing prohibition, changed not only Bavarian brewing but also world brewing techniques forever.

In modern times, Bavarian beer finds itself in trouble, perhaps the victim of its own success. As the globalised economy now offers Germans such "cool" new experiences as Shiraz from Australia and bourbon from Kentucky, and as these beverages are embraced mostly by the young, beer—the drink of generations past—begins to look more like an "old hat". Overall German beer consumption decreased from roughly 114 million hectolitres in 1991 to less than 100 million hl per year in 2010. In Bavaria, the number of breweries dropped from 726 to fewer than 630 during the same period.

However, there is one emerging sign that offers hope for the future of Bavarian beer: small brewpubs are making a comeback. These are modern, American-style establishments, but with traditional and indigenous beer style portfolios.

The ingredients

The Bavarian Purity Law was a development of earlier regulations on beer ingredients. In 1420, the Munich city council decreed that beer could only be made with barley, hops, and water. In 1487, Duke Albrecht IV of the House of Wittelsbach forced Munich brewers to swear an oath to adhere to this decree.

The Bavarian Purity Law was designed to prevent brewers from using additives to mask the off-flavours of their summer beers, which often tasted sour due to microbial infections. These additives included soot, oxen bile, chicken blood, salt, pith, chalk, legumes, rushes, tree bark, and even poisonous mushrooms.

The Bavarian Purity Law also contributed to the dominance of lager beers in Bavaria. When Duke Albrecht V forbade brewing during the summer months in 1553, brewers had to work overtime in spring to make enough beer for the hotter months. The relatively strong beers they brewed in spring, with an ABV of around 6%, became known as March beers or Märzenbier. These were stored in cool cellars, tunnels, or caves, and the German word for "to store" is "lagern", which is where the term "lager" comes from.

The original Bavarian winter lager was a dark beer called a Dunkel, which remained the region's most popular beer style until the late 19th century when it was replaced by a straw-blond lager style called Helles.

The brewing process

Mashing (Malting):

Mashing is the process of converting starches present in the grain into sugars, specifically maltose. It involves steeping milled grain in hot water, creating a porridge-like mixture. This step activates enzymes that catalyse the conversion of starch to sugar, providing food for the yeast to feed on. The grain bed is then sprinkled with hot water to extract the maltose, resulting in a liquid base called wort.

Boiling:

The wort is then transferred to a brew kettle and boiled. Hops are added at the beginning and end of the boiling process, as they impart bitterness, flavour, and aroma to the beer. Hops also act as a natural preservative. The boiling step helps separate unwanted impurities and coagulants from the wort, purifying the liquid base.

Fermentation:

The purified wort is then pumped into a fermenter, where yeast is added. Yeast is a microscopic organism that feeds on the sugars in the wort, producing carbon dioxide and alcohol as by-products. The outcome, beer or bread, depends on whether carbon dioxide or alcohol is retained.

Filtering:

After fermentation, the beer undergoes an additional filtering step to remove any remaining impurities, ensuring a clear and pure final product.

Bavarian beer, renowned for its rich and malty flavour, owes its distinctive character to the brewing process and the quality of its ingredients. The fundamental laws of brewing, including mashing, boiling, fermenting, and filtering, have remained unchanged for centuries, perfecting the art of brewing in this region.

The cultural significance

Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a state in the southeast of Germany. It is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the country's total land area. Bavaria has a distinct culture, largely due to its Catholic heritage and conservative traditions, including its language, cuisine, architecture, festivals, and Alpine symbolism.

Bavaria is the undisputed cradle of the world's lager beer culture. Beer is considered Germany's national drink and is the staple food in Bavaria, where it is known as "liquid bread". Almost half of all German breweries are located in Bavaria, and the oldest still-existing brewery in the world, the Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan, was founded over 1,000 years ago as a Benedictine monastery brewery in 1040.

The average Bavarian drinks 150 litres of beer per year, and the per capita consumption of beer in Bavaria is well above the national average of 102 litres at 130-135 litres per year. Beer is an integral part of the Bavarian way of life, or Gemütlichkeit, which translates to an inimitably Bavarian form of conviviality. Beer gardens, especially in the summer, and cosy beer halls in the winter, are popular places for locals to socialise.

Bavaria's beer-making history goes back to the late Bronze Age, if not further. An earthenware amphora discovered in 1935 in a Celtic chieftain's burial mound in Kasendorf, near the northern Bavarian city of Kulmbach, has been dated to about 800 BCE. It is considered the oldest evidence of beer-making in continental Europe.

The Bavarians' love of beer is also reflected in their long-standing traditions. For example, according to Bavarian folklore, the traditional "Weißwurst" breakfast, which includes sweet mustard, a pretzel, and wheat beer, must be consumed before 12 noon. Another tradition is the "Frühschoppen", a social gathering in a pub that takes place in the late morning.

Bavaria's beer culture is also tied to its religious history. Brewing in Central Europe, until the late Roman period, was mostly done by women, with men tending to the fields. However, when Christianity arrived in Bavaria in the 6th century, brewing became a recognised profession practised in monasteries and convents. Monks discovered the bitter flower of the hop plant as a perfect beer flavouring and preservative, and hops eventually replaced gruit (herbs used to flavour beer) in Europe.

Bavaria's beer culture has also influenced the region's food and culinary traditions. For example, beer is used in cooking specialities such as "Herb noodles with Bamberg beer onions" and "Gingerbread and cherry dessert with dark beer foam".

Bavaria's beer-making traditions have also earned global recognition. In 2001, the European Union granted the designation "Bavarian Beer" the status of a "Protected Geographical Indication", akin to a controlled appellation. Additionally, the Bavarian brewing tradition according to the Purity Law was elevated to the status of a Bavarian intangible cultural heritage in 2015.

Bavaria's rich history, diverse landscapes, and distinct culture, including its renowned beer, make it a popular tourist destination, attracting around 40 million visitors in 2019.

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