Beer in the Middle Ages

At the dawn of the Middle Ages, beer went from being a barbarian drink to having a close connection with the Church. Wherever the climate was not suitable for growing vines, priests could drink and even produce beer as a substitute for wine.

The Church’s relationship with beer during the Middle Ages is due in part to the tax exemptions enjoyed by monasteries. The monks did not have to pay taxes and owned land with which they could be self-sufficient. In fact, in the year 817 a council was held in the city of Aachen to regulate the production and consumption of beer by the clergy.

It is true that in some parts of Europe it was the peasants who brewed beer in their homes, but in general it was the monks in their abbeys who were responsible for preserving, perfecting, and popularizing beer as a staple food. We must bear in mind the unsanitary conditions, lack of hygiene, and diseases that were rife throughout much of the Middle Ages. Water was not usually drinkable, which made it a vector for infections.

We need to think of beer as a food with a high nutritional component that is also safe and affordable. Boiling the water in beer serves to sterilize it; in addition, alcohol is a powerful preservative that keeps beer free of harmful microorganisms. It was a perfect solution for medieval society.

It is true that until the 12th century gruit was used to flavor beer instead of hops. Gruit was a blend of different herbs and spices added as a flavoring and preservative. Hops performed these functions better, hence their popularization. It was in the year 1079 that Abbess Hildegard of St. Ruprechtsberg wrote about the advantages of hops in beer.

In fact, in 1516 William IV of Bavaria decreed the Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot), which required beer to be brewed only with water, barley malt and hops. The main reason for this law was that William IV of Bavaria held the barley monopoly.

From the Middle Ages there is still one brewery in operation, and it’s the oldest in the world still standing. The German brewery Weihenstephaner, renowned for its wheat beers, dates back to the year 1040. It was in that year that the bishop of Freising granted the abbey the right to brew beer.

It’s not hard to understand how this period in history is defining for the beer culture we enjoy today. Just look at abbey beers or the addition of hops.