Revolution brewing as US monks to sell beer

And now, the 63 brothers of St Joseph’s Abbey – about an hour from Boston, Massachusetts – are joining them, selling the first Trappist beer brewed outside Europe.

Up to now, eight monasteries – six in Belgium and one each in Holland and Austria – have produced the only beer recognised by the International Trappist Association as authentic Trappist beer.

For nearly 60 years the monks in Spencer had been selling jams and jellies to help support their community. The journey from jams to beer started five years ago when St Joseph’s sent two monks on a fact-finding mission to the Belgian Beer Fest in Boston.

But the monks’ ambitious venture was hardly met with enthusiasm by their exacting Trappist brothers in Europe – within hours, their European brothers were alarmed to learn of the inquiries.

“The original scepticism was because we were outside of Europe... and Americans,” said Father Isaac Keeley. “And the fear we would go too big, too fast.”

The European brewers, wanting a beer that would not damage the Trappist brand, agreed to help the Americans develop a good recipe.

After more than 20 trial batches, the monks in Massachusetts settled on the recipe for what would become Spencer Trappist Ale, a 6.5 per cent proof “refectory ale”.