Critics today say that the law is merely a marketing device, but the Brewers Federation president hailed it as a selling point, saying “in contrast to our colleagues abroad, German brewers don't use artificial flavours, enzymes or preservatives".
Brewers hoping to make craft beers can feel inhibited by the prohibition on ingredients as can others.
Helmut Fritsche, owner of Klosterbrauerei Neuzelle, fell foul of the law by adding sugar.
"We fought for ten years," he said. "Fought with the federation of brewers, with the state government, until the highest administrative court in 2005 decided that our black beer, that includes a pinch of sugar, could be called beer."
With even small towns and ancient monasteries brewing their own centuries-old brands, Germany has 3,500 breweries that exported about 1.5 billion litres last year.
The history of imports to Germany has had a chequered past until the early 1990s when a European Court ruling forced Germany to accept foreign imports. Today foreign brands account for nearly 8% of Germany's annual beer consumption.
But overall consumption is ebbing. Germans are still second only to the Czechs in annual beer consumption, but the total has dropped from 141 litres in 1991 to 98 litres last year.
