Low-alcohol beer

Small beer is a beer with an alcohol content of less than 2%, which corresponds approximately to an original gravity of 6%.

Historical Aspects

Traditionally, a poorer for household people, the term in the Middle Ages produced slightly alcoholic Getreidesud (usually not flavored with hops ). This small beer was by all family members, including children, mostly consumed at each meal, not least because of the lack of clean drinking water.

Later, small beer was produced in addition to the private production in breweries, mainly again for the servants and poor people. This drink also Nachbier or food beer called was usually prepared by the remains of barley or of wheat and hops used again used after the production of the normal "Dick Beer" to set up a further Sud, which usually contained little or no malt.

Derogatory term

As a derogatory term Dünnbier therefore referred to earlier also often poorly brewed beer with a slight malt. Today, the term is often used to refer to shell and little spicy " fashion " beers or foreign beers (mainly U.S. origin ).