Monks have long played a part in brewing, with evidence dating back to the fifth century. Beer, typically safer than drinking water in those times, was a staple, and even served nutritional needs during periods of fasting—good old “liquid bread.”
But perhaps the first monks who come to mind when discussing brewing are the Trappists. Officially the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, the Trappists are a diverging order of the Cistercians, which were founded by three fellows in Dijon, France who would later be canonized as saints. The monks and nuns adhered to the monastic principles of St. Benedict: poverty, simplicity in prayer and worship, manual labor to support themselves, and avoidance of secular affairs.
