Brewing beer is one of the oldest industries in Germany. Early recordings can be traced back to the year 650 A.D. Back then, monks brewed beer in their monasteries. As they became specialists, their beer got famous and popular. In 1040 the Bavarian monastery Weihenstephangot the official license and right to brew and sell beer. Today, the brewery still exists, being the oldest among its kind. Another landmark in the German beer history is the establishment of the German "Reihnheitsgebot" [purity law] in 1516. Since inexplicable side effects arose while brewing beer, duke WilhemIV issued the law, which ensured a quality standard. Even today, the purity law has not lost its impact and German beer contains malt, hop, yeast and water only (bier.de, 2012)
Today, there are 1325 breweries and more than 5000 beers in Germany (DeutscherBrauerei-Bund e.V., 2012b). Compared to other European nations, German consumption of beer is highest, indicating a valuable industry