Brewing Monks: A List of the World’s Monastic Beers

Monks created brewing as we know it, with the first large scale breweries in Europe and many advances to brewing techniques and technology. There were thousands of brewing monasteries, but then suddenly they disappeared. The French Revolution and its aftermath, the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire and the Napoleonic Wars, shuttered Europe’s monasteries. A couple of dozen monastic breweries would reopen in the 19th century and some of those wouldn’t make it through the World Wars. Now monastic beer is experiencing a Renaissance.

A reader asked me for a list of beers made by monks. In the last five years a good number have emerged throughout the world, though with varying levels of involvement from the monks themselves. Here is as good of a list as I’m able to put together, drawing on research I did for The Beer Option: Brewing a Catholic Culture Yesterday & Today. I only chose beers related to an existing monastery versus abbey beers still brewing in connection to a defunct one, and I did not include monasteries that brew only for their own consumption. If I’ve missed any, please include them in the comment box.

Starting closest to home (for me at least):

The United States

Before prohibition, only a few examples of monastic brewing can be found, such as at St. Vincent Archabbey and by Capuchin Friars in Kansas brewed beer. Recently, more monasteries have been experimenting with brewing or forming partnership with secular brewers.

• Benedictine Brewery: Mt. Angel Abbey, Oregon opened a new onsite brewery in the summer of 2018 operated by the monks with a beautiful tap room.
• Country Monks Brewing: Benedictine monks began brewing at Subiaco Abbey, Arkansas and have slowly been building up their operations.
• Abbey Brewing Company: Originally from Christ in the Desert Abbey in New Mexico. It was the first monastic brew sold in the US that I’m aware of since prohibition, although the monks have stepped back their role.
• Ceased operations in 2022: Spencer Trappist: From St. Joseph Abbey, Spencer, Massachusetts, it was the first Trappist beer in the US in 2014.
• St. Benedict Brew Works: A lay run brewery and taphouse on the grounds of the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception (Benedictine women) in Ferdinand, Indiana. They have cooperated with the sisters to host retreats and events that include beer related themes.
• Ovila: For a number of years, New Clairvaux Abbey worked with Sierra Nevada to brew a series of Belgian style beers to raise funds needed to reconstruct a medieval chapter house from Ovila, Spain as the abbey’s new chapel.

Europe is home to over 95% of the world’s monastic beer.

Germany

Germany boasts of the strongest continuous practice of monastic brewing, dating back over a thousand years.

• Weltenburg: On the Danube river, the monks of Germany’s oldest monastery both brew onsite and cooperate with an outside brewer, Bischofshof. It’s the world’s second oldest brewery, with documentation dating back to 1050. (The world’s oldest brewery, Weihenstephaner, is a secularized monastic beer, with documentation dating to 1040, and an early mention even from 768).
• Andechs: The Benedictines monks brew onsite at this traditional pilgrimage site.
• Ettal: In the mountains near Oberamergau, these Benedictines brew onsite for local distribution and partner with Licher for largescale brewing.
• Scheyern: The world’s third oldest brewery, where the monks continue to brew for local distribution only.
• Neuzelle: A recently revived Cistercian abbey with a previously secularized brewery on site. They are currently working on the world’s first powdered beer.
• Mallersdorf: Franciscan sisters brew for their own consumption and local distribution. Yes, nuns brew too!
• Marienstatter: In 2004 the Cistercian monks reopened their medieval brewery (which had closed 1908).
• Kreuzberg: Franciscan friars brew for their onsite restaurant.
• Reutberg: Franciscans brew on site in partnership with an outside brewer.
• Ridenburger: A beer brewed as part of a cooperative with the Benedictine Abbey of Plankstetten.
• Urstoff: Augustinians who contracted out their beer to Rother Brau in 1995.

Italy

Italy became the center of Western monasticism through the influence of its native son, St. Benedict. Known more for grapes, it nonetheless does have an ancient brewing tradition. Americans were the ones to reintroduce monastic brewing in 2012 in Norcia, St. Benedict’s hometown.

• Birra Nursia: The Monastery of St. Benedict, was founded in 2000 by a group of Americans in Norcia. Their monastery and the ancient basilica on St. Bendict’s childhood home were destroyed by an earthquake in 2016, and the community relocated to the mountains outside of town. They sell their beer online to help them rebuild.
• Tre Fontane: Trappists began brewing here in 2015, employing a distinct recipe with the eucalyptus they grow at the site where St. Paul was beheaded in Rome.
• Monte Cassino: In 2018, it was announced that the Abbey (originally founded by St. Benedict himself) would return to its tradition of brewing which ceased after the bombing of World War II. In cooperation with Peroni, barley grown at the monastery would be used.

France

Despite being known more for its wine, France has an older brewing pedigree than Germany. Under Frankish rule, its monasties became the first large scale brewies of Europe, which then spread into Germany. After World War II, however, its monastic tradition temporalily until its recent resurreciton.

• Saint-Wandrille: Brewed onsite by monks of the Saint Wandrille Benedictine Abbey since 2016. The monastery was one of the first places ever to use hops in beer in the 8th century.
• Mont des Cats: A Trappist beer brewed for the Abbaye Sainte Marie du Mont des Cats at the Chimay brewery in Belgium (see below).

Switzerland

Monks brewed in Switzerland back to the times of St. Columban, who performed three beer miracles during his continental mission. Carolingian monks continued the practice at large monasteries like St. Gall, which boasted of three breweries.

• St. Maurice Abbey: Recently, the Canons recently restablished brewing at this monastery dating back to 515, with the first mention of a brewery in 1244. The University of Lausanne helped to isolate yeast strains from within the monastery’s ancient cellar.
• Kloster Fischingen: Established by Martin Wartmann, the brewery produces beer with the label Pilgrim on site at the Benedictine monastery of Fischingen.

England

England was known for its ales, but the suppression of monasteries under Henry VIII stamped out any remnant of monastic brewing until the last decade.

• Tynt Meadow: A new beer fom the Trappist monks of Mount St. Bernard Abbey launched in 2018 under the Norweigen Abbot (now Bishop) Erik Varden. (see my review here).
• Ampleforth Abbey Beer: In 2012, the Benedictines of Ampleforth Abbey, North Yorkshire reopened their brewery. They fled to England after the Reformation and continued brewing their sparkling biere anglaise, only to flee back to England during the French Revolution.

Austria

Beer factors heavily in Germanic culture, as we see in the monastic beers of Austria.

• Augustiner Bräu Kloster Mülln: Formerly an Augustinian brewery, it is now sponsored by the Benedictine Abbey of Michaelbeuern, near Salzburg, in partnership with private shareholders.
• Schlägl Stiftsbrauerei: Beer brewed by the Norbertines on the monastery’s grounds.
• Closing announced: Stift Engelszell: The only Trappist monastery in Austria brewed three excellent beers–Gregorius, Nivard, and Benno–but it was announced in May 2023 that the monastery will be closing.

Czech Republic

Communism shuttered monasteries in Eastern Europe, thereby shuting down monastic brewing, which, thankfully, has proven resilient, bouncing back after the Cold War.

• Břevnovský Benedict: The Břevnov Benedictine Abbey in Prague revived its brewing in 2011 and also brews Praha 993 in South Korea!
• Strahov Klášterní: Norbertines brewing in Prague.
• Klášter Želiv: A Norbertine community that revived after Communism that brews onsite.

Slovakia

• Klastorny Pivovar: The Merciful Brothers (Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God) blessed the opening of a brewery in 2015 in the original location of their historic brewery dating back to 1690 in Bratislava.

Poland

• Szczyrzycki Brewery: Cistercians just south of Krakow reacquired their ancient brewery in 1993 and returned to brewing in 2015.
• Piwo Tynieckie From the Benedictine abbey of Tyniec, which brewed onsite for centuries and now actively partners with the Kazimierz Brewery in Zakrzów for its beer.

Hungary

• Zirci Apátsági: The Cistercian Abbey of Zirc, which resurrected after Communism, returned to brewing recently.

Spain

Spain is another country not as well known for beer but Trappists there are riding the wave of enthusiasm for monastic beer.

• Cerveza Cardeña: Initially brewed by MarPal offsite, it is now an officially approved Trappist beer of the Abbey of San Pedro de Cardeña near Burgos.

Netherlands

Closely bound up with Belgium historically and culturally, but separated on religious grounds, monastic brewing has bled over the border in Catholic pockets of the country.

• La Trappe: Named for the first Trappist monastery in France, the beer is brewed by the Trappist Koningshoeven Abbey, with the onsite assistance of the Swinkels Family Brewery. The monastery experiments boldly, beginning with its strong Quad and extending into German styles which are unusual for Trappist brewing.
• Zundert: A newer Trappist beer from the Abbey of Maria Toevlucht.
• Berne: Started by a lay foundation in 2015 to support the Norbertine Berne Abbey. It began with two historic recipes from the community, which dates to 1134.

Belgian Trappists

Belgian Trappists serve as the All Stars of monastery beers for good reason. We have been building up to this but here they are:

• Rochefort: From the Abbey of Notre Dame de Saint-Rémy.
• Westmalle: The pioneer of the Tripel style, from the Abbey of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.
• Chimay: The most famous and widely accessible of the Trappist beers from the Abbey of Notre Dame de Scourmont.
• Orval: From the Abbey of Notre Dame d’Orval, known for distributing only one unique beer, using wild Brettanomyces yeast.
• Westvleteren: The only of the Trappist beers brewed only by the monks. The monks of Saint-Sixtus Abbey sell their beer onsite only in limited quantities, making this the most coveted beer in the world.
• Achel: Although they still oversee brewing onsite, the Trappists have recently vacated the monastery due to lack of vocations and the Fazenda da Esperança movement now uses the grounds. As of 2021, the beer is no longer an officially certified Trappist product.

Belgian Abbey Beers

Most of these are brewed by secular brewers on behalf of abbeys, with a few notable exceptions. There are others connected to defunct abbeys, which I did not include. The large number and popularity of abbey beers confirms Belgium as the creative center of monastic brewing.

• Leffe: The best known of abbey beers, brewed by the world’s largest brewer, InBev, it remains connected to the Norbertine Abbey Notre Dame de Leffe in Dinant.
• Grimbergen: The Norbertines contracted out their beer to Alken-Maes for many decades, although they now have begun brewing onsite after rediscovering a medieval recipe and have released some limited edition brews.
• Affligem: Brewed by Heineken in affiliation with Affligem Benedictine monastery, profits support a youth farm.
• Val-Dieu: One of only a few abbey beers brewed onsite, in this case by a lay Cistercian group.
• Maredsous: Brewed by Duvel Moortgat for the Benedictines of Maredsous, the home of Bl. Columba Marmion.
• Sint Stefanus: Van Steenberge Brewery, just north of Ghent, brews this beer in collaboration with the Augustinians.
• Abdij Dendermonde: Brewed in collaboration between a Benedictine abbey and Brouwerij De Block.
• Keizesberg: Another collaboration between a Benedictine abbey north of Leuven and the Brouwerij Van Steenberge.
• Bornem: Bornem is a Trappist abbey (with only two monks remaining), though the beer is not brewed on site, but also by the Steenberge brewery (meaning it cannot be listed as certified Trappist).
• Postel: Brewed in colloboaration by Brouwerij De Smedt (owned by Heineken) and a Norbertine monastery.
• Tongerlo: Named for a Norbertine monastery, it is brewed by Brouwerij Haacht.
• Braxatorium Parcensis/Park Abbey: In 2019, a layman, Joris Brams, partnered with the Norbertines to resurrect their defunct monastic brewery that was closed during the French Revolution in Leuven. It is built on the original site and uses traditional practices.
• Maredret Abbey: Benedictine nuns recently formed a partnership with John Martin to brew beer using spelt and plants from their garden.

And now the rest of the world:

Latin America

• Mosteiro: Brewed by the São Bento Monastery in São Paulo, Brazil, a Benedictine monastery founded by German monks.
• Abadía de Los Toldos: From the Benedictine Monastery of Santa María, Los Toldos, Argentina.

Australia

• Abbey Beer: Brewed by Mash Brewery under contract for New Norcia Abbey.

Asia

• Praha 993: An abbey beer in South Korea brewed by the Benedictine Břevnov Monastery, whose name points to the founding of the monastery in 993AD in Praha (Prague).

Africa:

I know of two defunct Trappist beers in Africa: one in South Africa and the other in Congo. If you know of any current monastic beers there (or elsewhere), please post in the comment box.

Purchasing: Here are a few places to start.

Belgian Style Ales

Belgian Shop

Birra Nursia