American Beer Fans, Praise The Heavens: A Trappist Brewery In U.S.
The town of Spencer, in central Massachusetts, isn't well known for ... well, anything, really. But it's about to become internationally famous — at least in beer-drinking circles.
Spencer is home to St. Joseph's Abbey, where robed monks are busy brewing the first American Trappist beer. If all goes as planned, Spencer Trappist Ale will be available in Massachusetts retail stores by the middle of next week.
The monastery became one of only 10 official Trappist breweries in the world — and the first one outside Europe — in December.
"I've only come to understand the beer world [in] getting involved in this, but apparently, the Trappists have a reputation for quality in their products," says Damian Carr, the abbot of St. Joseph's.
That's a bit of an understatement. Many other beers bearing the Authentic Trappist Product label are regulars on lists of the world's best.
In some ways, the monks at St. Joseph's might seem like odd candidates to open up a world-class brewery. They don't get out much – "we're not in parishes, we don't teach schools, we don't go to the missions," the abbot says.
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