{"id":752,"date":"2024-06-12T14:12:18","date_gmt":"2024-06-12T14:12:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.malteuropmaltingco.com\/2024\/06\/12\/trappist-ales-the-truth-of-monks-brewing-beer\/"},"modified":"2024-06-12T14:12:18","modified_gmt":"2024-06-12T14:12:18","slug":"trappist-ales-the-truth-of-monks-brewing-beer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.malteuropmaltingco.com\/en\/news\/trappist-ales-the-truth-of-monks-brewing-beer\/","title":{"rendered":"Trappist ales: the truth of monks brewing beer"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"><i>Learn the ancient history of monks brewing beer. The Rule of Saint Benedict led to the creation of iconic Trappist ales, brewed within the walls of an abbey.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color:hsl(230,39%,15%);\">By:<\/span><span style=\"background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(102,102,102);font-size:16px;\"> <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/livingastoutlife.com\/\">Living a Stout Life<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">Why did monks start brewing beer?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">Monks brewing beer isn\u2019t anything new. In fact, it\u2019s a pretty ancient idea. Monks have always been encouraged to work with their hands, so it\u2019s really no surprise that one idea of manual labor was to brew beer, resulting in Trappist ales.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">Albeit, the more important reason for them brewing beer was probably the fact that in the earliest of times beer was much safer than drinking water. Another brilliant reasoning for brewing beer was that monks were reportedly only supposed to eat in the morning and the evening, so the idea of having a substantial and filling drink for an afternoon pick-me-up was probably quite an alluring one.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.malteuropmaltingco.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/272fcac6-6df1-e6cb-663d-757bd41f7917-Monks and Beer Painting.webp\"><figcaption>An AI-imagined depiction of Monks brewing beer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">What really defines a Trappist ale?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">Defining a specific type of beer isn\u2019t easy, and defining a Trappist ale follows suit. In the 9th century, the Rule of Saint Benedict, a set of guidelines used to oversee religious communities, permitted beer to be made within or near the walls of a Benedictine abbey. And while monks have been brewing beer for centuries, it wasn\u2019t until the 1860s that it became a commercial task.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">Today it can only be called a Trappist ale using that same delineation from the Rule of Benedict, but there is also the requirement that profits must go back into the abbey or to a local charity. And this is all decided by the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.trappist.be\/en\/products\/beers\/\"><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#1155cc;\"><u>International Trappist Association<\/u><\/span><\/a><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">, where they have currently bestowed this high honor to only 11 abbeys across the world.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.malteuropmaltingco.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/05d8533a-c3d9-7208-5e88-61748eb7617f-Westmalle Trappist Ale glass.webp\"><figcaption>Beer from Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle, the oldest of the recognized Trappist breweries.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">What are the actual styles of Trappist ales?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">If we are insisting upon defining the actual styles, they are all ales and they are all bottle-conditioned. Beyond that, the simplicity fails. Most can be recognized as either a single, a dubbel, or a tripel, but the dubbel is by far the most recognized style of all the Trappist ales. Complex in its color and flavor profile, malts play a huge part in giving this well-crafted beer its dark fruit character and bold brown colors.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.malteuropmaltingco.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/4fcd1f65-c443-1d7d-5db6-7069c4a0d14d-La Trappe Trappist Ale bottle glasses waterside.webp\"><figcaption>La Trappe is brewed by Brouwerij de Koningshoeven in Berkel-Enschot, Netherlands.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">What malts are used in Trappist ales?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">Single, dubbel, or a tripel, it\u2019s the malts the likes of our Vienna, Munich, and more that count. And while we cannot christen you an official abbey that brews Trappist ales, we can <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.malteuropmaltingco.com\/en\/shopmalt\"><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#1155cc;\"><u>get you the malts<\/u><\/span><\/a><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"> you need to brew a single, dubbel, or a tripel.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">And unlike the following story, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.malteuropmaltingco.com\/en\/coa\"><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#1155cc;\"><u>we know everything<\/u><\/span><\/a><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"> there is to know about our malts, so your recipes will deliver exactly what\u2019s promised, and nobody will be possessed by the Devil. At least not on your brew day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.malteuropmaltingco.com\/en\/news\/the-great-malt-heist:-the-origins-of-vienna-and-munich-malts\"><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#1155cc;\"><strong><u>The Great Malt Heist: the origins of Vienna and Munich malts<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">The priests\u2019 beer vs the nuns\u2019 beer<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">In the 21st century, we have styles, names, labels, and guidelines for almost everything. But&nbsp;centuries prior, records of all of these were fragmented, if any existed at all. So when beers were made, many brewers guessed at recipes, and often didn\u2019t guess properly.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">And as the story goes, \u201cThe whole convent was walking sideways for 24 hours. The monks believed themselves possessed by the Devil.\u201d (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.morebeer.com\/articles\/Belgian_Trappists_Abbey\"><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#1155cc;\"><u>morebeer.com<\/u><\/span><\/a><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">) You see, there were two batches of beer made that day, one quite strong for the Priests, the other for the Nuns. One can only bet that the priests may have finally learned how to keep better records.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.malteuropmaltingco.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/409bc9a7-dbca-a594-3bb7-64a10b857c57-three Orval bottles crate.webp\"><figcaption>Brasserie d&#8217;Orval is housed within the walls of the Abbaye Notre-Dame d&#8217;Orval in Belgium.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">Cheers to the Trappist ales!<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">Here at Malteurop we pride ourselves on our high quality and diverse malts. Malts that are exactly what you\u2019re looking for when it comes to your Trappist style ales. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.malteuropmaltingco.com\/en\/shopmalt\"><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#1155cc;\"><u>Click here<\/u><\/span><\/a><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"> to learn more!<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"><strong>Premium grains from field to flavor.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;\">&#8211; &#8211; &#8211; &#8211; &#8211;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#434343;\">About Malteurop Malting Company (MMC)<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">Malteurop Malting Company (MMC) is based in North America\u2014specializing in growing and producing quality malts for the beer, whiskey, and food processing industries. With local farms and Malthouses spread across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Malteurop&#8217;s commitment to excellence is fully ingrained into every batch it produces, ensuring businesses of any size can create the finest beverages and food products on the planet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">Visit <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.malteuropmaltingco.com\/\"><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#0000ff;\"><u>www.malteuropmaltingco.com<\/u><\/span><\/a><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"> to learn how we can support your malting needs.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">Contact us at <\/span><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#0000ff;\">customersuccess@malteurop.com<\/span><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"> or (844) 546-MALT (6258) for questions or to place your order.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"><strong>Malting is our passion. Quality is our promise.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;\">&#8211; &#8211; &#8211; &#8211; &#8211;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.morebeer.com\/articles\/Belgian_Trappists_Abbey\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff;color:#1155cc;\"><u>https:\/\/www.morebeer.com\/articles\/Belgian_Trappists_Abbey<\/u><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beermerchants.com\/features\/what-is-trappist-beer\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff;color:#1155cc;\"><u>https:\/\/www.beermerchants.com\/features\/what-is-trappist-beer<\/u><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.trappist.be\/en\/products\/beers\/chimay\/\"><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff;color:#1155cc;\"><u>https:\/\/www.trappist.be\/en\/products\/beers\/chimay\/<\/u><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color:#ffffff;color:#4d4d4f;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn the ancient history of monks brewing beer. The Rule of Saint Benedict led to the creation of Trappist ales, brewed within the walls of an abbey.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":696,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_titles_title":"Trappist ales: the truth of monks brewing beer","_seopress_titles_desc":"Learn the ancient history of monks brewing beer. 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