Trappist Beer Politics

"Monks have been brewing Westvleteren beer at this remote spot near the French border since 1839. Their brew, offered in strengths up to 10.2% alcohol by volume, is among the most highly prized in the world...And the monks are doing their best to resist getting bigger. They don't advertise and don't put labels on their bottles. They haven't increased production since 1946. They sell only from their front gate. You have to make an appointment and there's a limit: two, 24-bottle cases a month."

How Monks Got Into the Beer Business: A Brief History

Middle Ages: The church began to support beer production. Monks brewed beer as a healthier alternative to the impure water of the day, and because it was a good way to make money with only a few basic raw materials. By the year 1000, Europe had approximately 500 monastic breweries.

15th - 19th Centuries: Many abbeys gve up brewing due to secular competition. Hundreds of abbeys in France and present-day Belgium were destroyed during the French Revolution. Monks at St. Sixtus started brewing in 1839 to finance contruction of their new monastery.

Recent History: In the 20th century, the monasteries have suffered from war and a decline of religious vocations. The abbeys that remain, Trappist monasteries in particular, have continued brewing with growing success, amid the prosperity of recent decades.

Trappist Command:Thou Shalt Not BuyToo Much of Our Beer
by John Miller
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119628388037006909-Fne_2Xj287TcEy9wgO_McwYpaoA_20081128.html?mod=rss_free