Made in Weimar

Weimar beer

Beer has been brewed at the Ehringsdorfer brewery for 175 years. The art of brewing in accordance with the “Weimarer Reinheitsgebot” (or Weimar purity law) – which is older than the Bavarian style (!) – dates back much further.

Tracing the history of the Urbräu

The “Reinheitsgebot” or “purity law” from Weimar is one of the oldest “beer laws”, dating back to 1348. And visitors should know that Weimar-style beer is actually known as Ehringsdorfer …

Although the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot from 1516 is the more famous “beer law”, a considerably older document was found in Weimar, establishing what brewers are allowed to use and what they are not. Any breaches of these rules could be punished with severe penalties, and page 6 of the Weimar municipal register from 1348 states (loosely translated): “Brewers shall not use anything other than malt and hops in their beer; no polypodium – and no resin…”.

Weimar, once home to ten breweries

Of the ten breweries which existed in Weimar at various times, a brewery in Weimar-Ehringsdorf, whose history spans more than 175 years, today brews a local beer bearing the district’s name. Once founded as a manor brewery, and having subsequently undergone numerous extensions and modifications, it produces Ehringsdorfer Urbräu, Ritterbräu and Bonfiatius Bock – using the old brewing recipes, of course. Beer connoisseurs highly rate the bittersweet Urbräu, while lovers of slightly malty beer are advised to try the Ritterbräu or the stronger Bockbier.

The local beer is, understandably, a must at the Onion Market, Thuringia’s largest festival. It is drawn from the 150-year-old Ehringsdorfer keg, which was made for the pageant commemorating the golden wedding anniversary of Duke Carl Alexander and Duchess Sophie, and is brought out on display once a year at the market square.

Ehringsdorfer Brauerei


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