Germany has been known for its beer culture for centuries, but now some of the country's top brewers want their five-century-old purity law to be given world heritage status by the United Nations' cultural agency.

But beer consumption in Germany is actually falling, and some people say that is due to strict laws which limit the ingredients brewers can use.

Brewers have applied to Unesco for their Reinheitsgebot law to join a list of "intangible heritage" that includes Spanish flamenco and Turkey's Kirkpinar oil-wrestling festival.

Steve Evans reports.