Attacking Beer Purity The Twilight of Germany's Reinheitsgebot Germany's beer purity law celebrates its 500th birthday this weekend. The strict brewing rules are world-famous, but they also limit experimentation. With a rise of craft brewers and the loss of key legal battles, does the proud tradition have a future? Von Nils Klawitter
Purity Pride Germany Wants World Heritage Status for Its Beer Germany's brewers are so proud of their 500-year-old beer purity law, which states that it must consist only of water, malt, hops and yeast, that they want it inscribed in UNESCO's World Heritage list -- alongside the pyramids, the Taj Mahal and Flamenco dancing. Von David Crossland
Oktoberfest Ends 6.7 Million Liters of Beer and a Set of False Teeth 6.4 million visitors, 6.7 million liters of beer drunk, and 638 "beer corpses" -- Oktoberfest ended Sunday with another impressive array of statistics. However, only one set of false teeth was handed to the lost property office -- a sign of improved dental adhesive.
Deceptive Clichés Oktoberfest and Bavaria's Recipe for Success On the surface, Oktoberfest is all about booze and sex. But the world's most famous folk festival can also be seen as a microcosm of Bavarian culture, where tradition and conviviality have combined to create a special brand of prosperity. Von Ullrich Fichtner
Meatless in Munich Oktoberfest Introduces Vegan Food Options For some 200 years, Oktoberfest has been all about copious amounts of beer and meat. But, this year, organizers are breaking with tradition and reaching out to visitors with dietary restrictions by offering vegan dishes and even vegan wine. Von Friederike Heine
The Dirndl Code Expert Tips for a Rollicking Oktoberfest What does a dirndl apron reveal about its wearer, and how do visitors get seats inside the beer tents? An Oktoberfest expert answers questions about how to get the most out of the world's largest folk festival, which begins this weekend. Von Julia Stanek
Beer-ern Munich European Champs Get Oktoberfest Uniforms With the 180th Munich Oktoberfest just around the corner, the city's largest football club and current German and European champions, FC Bayern, have introduced new away uniforms inspired by the beer festival.
Brouhaha Major German Brewers Allegedly Fixed Prices For some two decades, major German breweries have allegedly been fixing beer prices, according to a media report this week. They now face hundreds of millions of euros in fines.
Last Call Crisis Closes Pubs, Mainstay of Irish Society With high unemployment, a surge in emigration and rising beer prices, Irish pubs are getting pinched by the crisis, and some 1,500 have been forced to shut their doors. But one entrepreneur has found a novel way to keep patrons and hold his community together. Von Patrick Kremers
Purity Concerns German Beer Brewers Foaming over Fracking Forget environmental concerns: When it comes to fracking, Germans are worried about how it might affect beer quality. In a letter to several ministries in Berlin, brewers expressed concern that the exploitation of shale gas could contaminate water supplies and thus violate the beer purity law of 1516.
Homeric Battle in Germany Bizarre Court Battle over Duff Beer Trademark Germany's Duff Beer UG has long shown itself to be a formidable foe in the courtroom, taking on all comers in defending its right to brew Homer Simpson's favorite beer. On Thursday, however, the company lost a battle to gain the sole trademark to the name -- meaning Germany will continue to have two Duff beers.
Emerging Craft Breweries Breaking Out of Germany's Stodgy Beer Traditions Germany is famous for its beer, but centuries-old traditions have put it well behind the US and other countries at the forefront of beer experimentation. Thanks to changing consumer tastes and some maverick brewers, though, the country is slowly catching up. Von Renuka Rayasam