Why Cologne already had similar rules in the 15th century and K\u00f6lsch is currently the only top-fermented beer that legally must be brewed according to the Purity Law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anyone who believes the German Purity Law is a Bavarian invention has probably never discussed it with a true Colognian at the bar. Because while the Bavarians were still chewing on their Wei\u00dfwurst in the 15th century, the Colognians had long set their brewing compass \u2013 towards purity, taste, and quality. It’s time to properly “expose” the Purity Law and show why Cologne has always been at the forefront of beer brewing. <\/p>\n\n
Long before Wilhelm IV proclaimed the famous Purity Law in Bavaria, the Cologne city council already got down to business in 1412<\/strong>: According to the council’s decision, only hops and malt<\/strong> were allowed as ingredients for K\u00f6lsch beer \u2013 water and yeast<\/strong> were then self-evident components of the brewing process, even if they were not yet understood as such. With this, Cologne was more than 100 years ahead of its time. <\/p>\n\n While the rest of the empire was still experimenting with all sorts of herbs and dubious ingredients, the Colognians already focused on clarity in the glass and in the law.<\/p>\n\n A small side note for know-it-alls: At that time, a lot of Grutbier<\/strong> was still brewed in Cologne \u2013 a beer spiced with herbs that was eventually replaced by hops. From the beginning of the 15th century, hops also became the standard in Cologne \u2013 and the famous Keutebier<\/strong> was born. <\/p>\n\n In 1516, the great Bavarian Purity Law came into being \u2013 a law that is considered the origin of German beer culture today. However, the list of ingredients was almost identical to Cologne’s rule from 1412. You can experience even more anecdotes about K\u00f6lsch beer laws and beer house stories live on our tours through Cologne.<\/p>\n\n Now it gets legally interesting: While many top-fermented German beers can<\/em> be brewed according to the Purity Law today, there is only one type of beer that must<\/em> be: K\u00f6lsch!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n The K\u00f6lsch Convention of 1985<\/strong> stipulates that K\u00f6lsch may only be brewed according to the Purity Law \u2013 namely as a light, hop-accentuated, clear, top-fermented full-bodied beer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n Furthermore: K\u00f6lsch is not only a type of beer, but also a protected geographical indication (PGI)<\/strong>. This means: Only beer brewed in Cologne and complying with the rules of the convention may be called K\u00f6lsch. <\/p>\n\n Fun Fact (to dispel a myth once and for all):<\/strong> Nevertheless, it holds true: Anyone who wants to open a new “K\u00f6lsch” brewery outside the Cathedral City today is out of luck \u2013 the name is strictly protected.<\/p>\n\n K\u00f6lsch is not just a drink. It is a way of life, tradition, and a piece of home in a glass. Its history ranges from the first brewers in the Middle Ages, through the legendary “Wie\u00df” (the naturally cloudy precursor to K\u00f6lsch), to the modern beer houses that still brew according to the old rules today. <\/p>\n\n And while in other cities the Purity Law is seen more as an option, for K\u00f6lsch, it is law. That makes the difference \u2013 and explains why the K\u00f6lsch glass is always a little fuller: with history, pride, and, of course, taste. <\/p>\n\n The next time you enjoy a fresh K\u00f6lsch, you can proudly say: More stories and K\u00f6lsch anecdotes? You can experience them live and in full color on our tours through Cologne. Cheers! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" German Purity Law exposed: Why Cologne already had similar rules in the 15th century and K\u00f6lsch is currently the only top-fermented beer that legally must be brewed according to the Purity Law<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2287,"template":"","meta":{"related_faqs":[],"footnotes":""},"blog_category":[88],"class_list":["post-2269","blog_post","type-blog_post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","blog_category-hintergruende"],"blog_categories_meta":[{"id":88,"name":"Hintergr\u00fcnde","slug":"hintergruende"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms.mrkoelsch.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog_post\/2269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms.mrkoelsch.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog_post"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms.mrkoelsch.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog_post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms.mrkoelsch.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/cms.mrkoelsch.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog_post\/2269\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2285,"href":"https:\/\/cms.mrkoelsch.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog_post\/2269\/revisions\/2285"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms.mrkoelsch.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2287"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms.mrkoelsch.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"blog_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms.mrkoelsch.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog_category?post=2269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The Bavarian Purity Law: Stolen from the Colognians?<\/h2>\n\n
K\u00f6lsch Convention: why K\u00f6lsch is Currently the Only Top-Fermented Beer Subject to the Purity Law<\/h2>\n\n
K\u00f6lsch: more than just a Beer \u2013 a Piece of Cologne Identity<\/h2>\n\n
Conclusion: Cologne \u2013 where Beer History Stays Alive<\/h2>\n\n