An Introduction to Abbey Beers: Brewing in the Benedictine Tradition

When St. Benedict of Nursia fled the city of Rome to escape its worldly allurements and seek perfection in the monastic life, there were some Roman luxuries that he knew his monks just couldn’t do without. So while personal property, meat, and even private sleeping arrangements were all forbidden in the Rule that Benedict composed for his monks, he knew that even the most saintly hermits couldn’t do without the staple of Mediterranean cuisine: Wine.  

Now this is, after all, a beer blog. But what many beer and wine drinkers forget is that their fermented beverages of choice are much more closely related than they may think. In his treatise on the Theory and Practice of Brewing, 18^th Century English brewer Michael Coburn wrote that wine is simply, “a brisk, agreeable, spirituous, fluid cordial, formed from fermented vegetable bodies. In this sense beers and ales may be called, and really are, barley wines.”

Simply put, both wine and beer employ the same process to reach similar results, but with different ingredients. So it’s not surprising that when the Christian gospels, including the story of Christ changing water into wine, made their way into the northern regions of Europe where barley was grown in place of grapes, native clergy translated “wine” into “beer” – an adaptation that gave a divine imprimatur to brewing and no doubt helped with conversions!

Nevertheless, St. Benedict was writing in 6^th Century Italy, and had to make do with the grapes nature had given him. And so, almost grudgingly, he wrote that “because monks in our times cannot be persuaded [that they are not to drink wine], let us agree to this, at least, that we do not drink to satiety, but sparingly; because "wine maketh even wise men fall off" (Sir 19:2).”

Benedict also required that his monks earn their own way by being completely self-sufficient. And, given the dangerous bacteria that made water undrinkable in urban areas, monks devoted much of their daily work to making wine in the south and brewing beer in the north. During lent, many of these monks took no solid food and fasted on beer alone. In Germany, these traditions live on in the "double bock" style, noted for its alcoholic strength and dark malt character. 

A monk gives a tour of the monastery brewery
at Ettal in this historic photo.

Before the Reformation, there were said to be nearly five hundred monastic breweries in Europe. Some of these, like the world-famous Weihenstephan, were secularized around the time of Napoleon. Others retained their monastic brewing traditions and still make brewing an essential part of their daily ora et labora. In Germany, these include the monasteries of Ettal and Andechs, both of which are now popular pilgrimage destinations not only for believers, but for beer lovers as well.

In Belgium, Abbey style beers are usually divided into two three categories: the Blond, the Dubbel, and the Tripel. Traditionally, monasteries would create three "runs" of beer from the same malt base. The strongest of the three, which was the first batch of water to be run through the malt, was three times stronger than subsequent runs through the mash tun, which became more diluted with each mashing. Because the barrels these beers were stored in were marked with X's to show their strength (X, XX, or XXX), they were named accordingly. Usually, an abbey blond has a lower alcohol strength, and is brewed from pale malt. Dubbels range in strength from 6-8% ABV, and are traditionally brewed from dark malts. They are known for their rich, malty, and creamy flavor, which often imparts notes of chocolate and plum. Tripels are the strongest abbey style beers, weighing in anywhere from 8-10% ABV. While the type of malt from which these beers are brewed is not always indicative of the style, Tripels are usually brewed using Pilsner malts fortified with candy sugar and other spices that make these beers not only high in alcohol, but also fruity and effervescent. Today, many of these styles are brewed by secular breweries who are either associated with an existing monastery or have simply adopted a monastic name. Few active abbeys continue to brew beer, but some, like Maredsous, still play an active role in the beers that carry the abbey name.

Located in the beautiful Ardennes region of Belgium, Maredsous Abbey stands out as one of the most notable Benedictine monasteries in the world. In 1963, the Abbey contracted its brewing operation out to the Duvel Moortgat Brewery, although the monks still retain strict control over the beer’s quality and keep the recipes locked away in the Abbey’s safe. Proceeds from the beer’s sales also go to the Abbey in order to support the monks and their charitable works.  Maredsous brews three distinct, abbey style beers: The Blond, the Bruin, and the Triple.

Maredsous Abbey

The Triple, also known as Maredsous 10, displays a very clear, dark orange body with a frothy, white head.  As you raise the glass to your mouth, you will notice a lively aroma of fresh yeast, citrus and subtle, intriguing hints of whiskey and caramel. As you taste the beer, you’ll notice a smooth, tangy citrus flavor accompanied by strong notes of alcohol at the end, balanced out by a sweet note of caramel. In all, this makes for a very intriguing beer whose strength (10% ABV) is masked by a refreshing blend of citrus, bread, and sweet-malt flavors that epitomize the essence of a classic Belgian Tripel. In all, this great beer does much credit to the time-honored Benedictine charism of “ora et labora” – work perfected by prayer.

The Benedictines are not the only religious order competing in the global beer market. Another order that broke off from the main Benedictine congregation to live an even stricter life has become nearly synonymous with fine beer: The Trappists. So, while I hope this has provided an introduction into the historical origins of monastic brewing, I’ll wait for a later post to write about the world’s most famous monastic beers.