Monks star in The Beer Option, but nuns are not absent. In fact, one of the main patronesses of beer, the great Doctor of the Church, St. Hildegard of Bingen, was a Benedictine abbess who touted the health benefits of hops and beer. In her book, Causes and Cures, she wisely notes that “beer puts flesh on the bones and gives a lovely color to the face, on account of the strength and good juices of the grain. Water has a weakening effect. . . . Whether people are healthy or sick . . . they should drink wine or beer, not water.”
We think of beer as a masculine drink, but throughout history women took the primary role as brewers. This goes back to the ancient world (as seen in Hammurabi’s Code), in keeping inns but more frequently within the home in service of the family, and continuing throughout the Middle Ages. Brewers were among the last of the trades to form guilds precisely because brewing was considered to be a right of the family, overseen by the woman of the house (which is where the image of a woman standing and stirring over a steaming pot arose).
Nuns do brew, though not as frequently as their monastic brothers, the monks. The best known example can be seen in the Franciscan Sisters of Mallersdorf, Germany. There were a number of features on Sister Doris Engelhard, dubbed “Europe’s Last Brewster” by the Atlantic. Even NPR took a “pilgrimage” to visit her before she retired. Thankfully she is still going, and so the Franciscan Sisters continue to brew for their guests and local community.
Closer at hand, the Benedictine Sisters of the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand, Indiana have invited St. Benedict Brew Works to operate a brewery and taphouse on the monastery’s grounds. It seems to have formed a fruitful partnership as they have cooperated to host retreats that include beer related themes.
Finally, there are some new brewing sisters on the block: The Benedictines of Maredret Abbey (l’Abbaye des saints Jean et Scolastique), who formed a partnership with the Brewer John Martin to develop a line of high quality and delicious brews. I ordered some from Belgium via the Belgian Shop, and it was worth the shipping: unfiltered, flavorful, and unique. The label of their Altus (6.8%) conveys the beer’s monastic spirit in brewing for charitable purposes and drawing upon tradition: “Beer brewed in support of Maredret Sisters charitable projects. Inspired by St. Hildegard of Bingen, this mixed fermented beer is brewed using spelt and carefully chosen botanicals, which with cloves and juniper berries give Altus its unique taste.” Their Tripel (8%), likewise, uses coriander and sage. They view the use of herbs as increasing the medicinal quality of the beer and drink one bottle on Sundays.
There are so many Belgian abbey beers that you might wonder about adding more. These beers, however, stand strong along their peers, truly fitting within the abbey tradition and making their own contribution, showing that the nuns too belong in brewing. I wish I had stopped by when I was visiting Maredsous Abbey and sampling their beer, less than a mile away. Thankfully, they may begin selling it within the United States.
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