17 - Craft beer in the land of the purity law—the German beer industry and the purity requirement in the course of time

Abstract

The perception of beer is changing enormously, and a new trend in the beer market has emerged globally and in Germany: craft beer. In contrast to the conventional beer market, the craft beer market has strong potential for further development, as consumers welcome the increase in beer diversity that accompanies this trend. For consumers, marketers, and producers alike, burning questions arise due to the lack of a uniform definition for craft beer in Germany, which is complex also through the major role that the purity requirement plays in the country. In order to understand better the developments in the beer market, 15 experts were interviewed, in addition to the conduction of a thorough literature review. This chapter describes the German craft beer market, its historical development to date, as well as the importance of the Purity Law for Germany. It then summarizes the results of the expert interviews to narrow down a definition of craft beer and outlines the current role of the Purity Law in Germany.