Germany raises glass to 500th anniversary of beer purity law

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has raised a beer glass to help celebrate 500 years since the birth of Germany's oldest and most revered brewing tradition.

Germany raises glass to 500th anniversary of beer purity law. Source: AAP

German beer fans are marking the anniversary of a decree of April 23, 1516 by the southern state of Bavaria imposing the "Reinheitsgebot" purity law, stating "no ingredients other than barley, hops and water are to be used" in making beer.

(German Brewers' Association) Source: Supplied

Amid guards in traditional costume and the sound of clinking glasses, Merkel joined a celebratory event in Ingolstadt, where on Thursday a special beer fountain was unveiled.

Bavarian beer fountain unveiled for 500th anniversary of purity law. (WXPI) Source: wxpi

While no longer actual law, the Reinheitsgebot is still regarded as an important tradition and for many brewers a guideline on how German beer ought to be made.