Originally Posted by Kathrin
The Reinheitsgebot still exists, although it is not forced by law any more, but all decent German breweries accept and follow it. The EU unfortunately killed the law, so the imported artificial stuff is not forbidden any more. It will be available in the lowest shelf of large supermarkets and in certain touristy surroundings. No Germans who have their brains in the right place and shape would buy that crap, though.
Amen! I fully agree with you on this one.
As for light beer, there are also "light" variations offered by various European (and even German) breweries. I'm not that familiar with the Spanish beer market, but I would think it's usually best just to ask. The phrase in Spanish would probably be something like "Quiero cerveza con medio alcool" (alcool is pronounced al-col), which would be "I want beer with half the normal alcohol." That should get you what you're looking for.