Food & Beer Culture

The question of what a Maß should cost has always been tied to the Reinheitsgebot in Ingolstadt. The Maß is the traditional Bavarian beer measure, and it appears in the 1516 territorial ordinance as the unit for pricing. Order a Maß in a pub today, and you'll get a one-liter glass—unknowingly joining a tradition that goes all the way back to the dukes.

In Old Bavaria, beer comes paired with Brotzeit: roast pork with dumplings and coleslaw, pretzels with Obatzda, radishes with salt. The roast pork has a crust that pairs well with Pilsner's bitterness, the dumpling soaks up the sauce, and a Weissbier's freshness balances out the richness of it all.

Celebrations happen in autumn and around Pentecost. The Schanzer Herbstvolksfest runs September 25 to October 4, 2026, at the Volksfestplatz on Dreizehnerstraße, and it's been held since 1946. Locals call themselves 'Schanzer' after the city's old fortress history. There's also a Pentecost festival in spring.

On April 23, German Beer Day, it's worth taking a closer look at the city itself. Ingolstadt celebrated the Reinheitsgebot in 2021 with a festival dedicated to pure beer. Nordbräu's brewery museum tells the story of the house, which brewed brown beer under the Jesuits as early as 1693.

One final piece of advice fitting for the law itself: beer is meant to be enjoyed, and like any alcoholic drink, it carries calories. If you want to really get to know it, drink little and slowly. The Reinheitsgebot tells you what's in the beer—not how much of it is good for you.