Does festival beer really exist?
You’ve probably heard the rumor about ‘festival beer’ before. Beer at festivals and events is supposedly diluted with water, but is that really the case?
It sounds plausible: adding water to beer means people get drunk less quickly (and are therefore less likely to become annoying), they buy more beer, and it’s cheaper for the organizer.
The Keuringsdienst van Waarde investigated the matter. And what did they find? Festival beer doesn’t exist. At least, it isn’t allowed. By law, the alcohol percentage may deviate by no more than 0.5%. In addition, beer brands regularly check the quality of their beer.
Light
What is allowed is serving light beer, provided this is stated. Depending on the brewer, the alcohol percentage is then around 3 percent. It is a misconception that light beer is regular pilsner diluted with water.
Light beer is often served at ‘high-risk events’, such as certain football matches. Municipalities sometimes only issue an event permit if light beer is served instead of regular pilsner.
And the taste? You might be able to taste that it contains less alcohol, and if you’re a little trained, you may also detect a stronger malt flavor, but watery beer? No, that’s certainly not what light beer is.
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