Montana Public Radio reporter Dan Boyce interviewed me here in Germany for a story about the Reinheitsgebot, Germany's legendary beer purity law (radio version here). He looks at the lasting impact of the old law from Germany all the way to a craft brewery in Montana. The law originally allowed only barley, hops and water in beer. It helped German beer gain a reputation for quality that continues to this day.

This didn't make it into Dan's piece, but I told him that brewers can make great beer under the Reinheitsgebot or mediocre beer. And the same is true for beer brewed outside the Reinheitsgebot.

I love the traditional German beer styles that are still brewed according to the 1516 law. But I also love beers that include ingredients that are not Reinheitsgebot approved. Belgian beers, for example, sometimes employ spices or candy sugar to make interesting beers. And creative craft brewers the world over have used all kinds of ingredients to brew unusual and delicious creations. There's room for all types of great beer, and I'm greatly enjoying all the new brews I'm lucky enough to try here in Germany. /mark