Brewers and Malsters Guild of Ireland - Charter

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.