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Monday 21st of October 1996, 3pm.
We, the Brewers and Malsters Guild of Ireland, being persons engaged
in the trade or mystery of brewing on the 300th anniversary of the
original founding of the Brewers and Malsters Guild present herein,
certain beliefs we hold to be true. These beliefs constitute our
charter and as such, all members of our alliance agree to adhere to
and actively encourage others to support such beliefs.
We believe:
Beer is fundamental to our culture. It is historically, both in
our society and in others, a staple dietary element.
The best quality of beer is produced from pure water, cereal
grains, both malted and unmalted, yeast, hops and good brewing
practice. Certain specialty beers contain other entirely natural
sources of flavour and fermentables. Most notably our beers are
produced without supplementation of the natural process with
any of the following:
- Added preservatives and antioxidants - such as sulphites, ascorbates, benzoates, pyrocarbonates.
- Added enzymes to aid fermentation and maturation or to increase shelf life stability.
- Foam enhancers - such as alginates, gums.
- Stabilisers - tannic acid, gallotannins, EDTA, dimethylpolysiloxane.
- Synthetic sweeteners and colouring agents - such as glycerol and caramel food dye.
- Viscosity enhancers such as non-mash sources of dextrins, dextrans, alginates, glycerol.
- Hop extracts containing traces of solvents such as hexane, methanol or methylene chloride.
In its pure form, beer is a healthful beverage when consumed
in moderation. It is an accessible, easily digested, wholesome
source of energy and nutrition. Beer is a perishable commodity
that is sensitive to environmental conditions. Beer should be
protected from extremes of light and temperature. Most beers
are designed to be drunk fresh.
Honest education, at all levels, about the use, historical context,
danger of abuse, physiological and psychological effects of beer
and other alcoholic beverages is the best defence against the
tragic misuse or abuse of alcohol by the youth and other segments
of our culture. We believe that as producers, we have an
obligation to be truthful in any education we provide.
We further believe that honesty in all elements of public interaction
is critical in the creation of a healthy industry with long term
stability and public acceptance. "Lifestyle" advertising and other
forms of marketing imagery, which fail to focus on the product
itself, will undermine our charter. The "image" we need to create
rests primarily on our quality of product and our desire to serve
the best interests of our consumers.
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