debeer1-9, Exercise 1: Price and public order

Model answer:

Beer was a staple food and drink, so a rise in its price (or a fall in its quality) was felt by almost everyone, and was a common cause of anger. The Munich riots of 1844 grew out of a price rise and complaints about quality, and led to brawling and damage to breweries. They suggest that authorities saw the price and quality of beer as a matter of public order, as the price rules in the 1516 order had also implied.