High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Beer is a major part of German culture. For many years German beer was brewed in adherence to the Reinheitsgebot order or law which only permitted water, hops and malt as beer ingredients until its repeal in 1988. The order also required that beers not exclusively using barley-malts such as wheat beer must be top-fermented. Since 1993, the production of beer has been governed by the Provisional German Beer Law which allows a greater range of ingredients and additives.