There are seven Trappist breweries, all brewing some of the best beer in the world, but the most acclaimed of them all (despite also having the smallest output) is the St Sixtus abbey in Westvleteren, Belgium. Its brews just three beers and produces only 60,000 cases a year. But the stuff is so highly rated by enthusiasts that there is a black market for it. Its harder to get hold of than weapons grade plutonium.
The most popular beer brewed at St Sixtus is the Westvleteren 12 – a strong dark ale with a 10.2% abv. At Ratebeer.com it is currently ranked as the number 1 best beer in the world and has consistently ranked in the top five since the site started. The two other beers brewed at St Sixtus are the Westvleteren Extra 8 – a dark red ale with an 8% abv (this currently ranks as the 12th best beer in the world at Ratebeer.com) and a Blond with a 6% abv.
Yet despite the popularity of its beer, the monks of St Sixtus refuse to become any more commercial in their production. As with all monastic brewers, the beer-making started as a way for the monks to become self-sufficient and fund their other ativities. First and foremost St Sixtus is a spiritual community. The brewing just pays the bills. The head brewer Brother Joris explains how the brewing and the other stuff fit together:
“As monks, the rule is pray and work. These are the pillars of the Trappist life. If you prayed 24 hours a day you’d go nuts. So there has to be a balance between work and monastic life. So the balance is there. We earn our living. There’s no reason to change that, or make more money.”
The monks at St Sixtus have been brewing since 1836 and whilst the equipment is fairly modern, the techniques are ancient, having been passed from monk to novice down the ages. Unlike the chaotic affairs that Fendog and I are used to, the monks’ 72 brewdays a year are calm and tranquil, performed in hooded black habits (traditional for Trappist monks), grey socks and sandals (traditional for all middle-aged Christian men), and in total silence as per the Trappist commitment. (In honour of our Belgian brothers, Fendog and I intend to adopt this dresscode for our next brew day).
The beer goes on sale 36 times a year for as long as stocks last and (I love this) the abbey has a special “Beer Phone”. I like to think that it is red and lights up when someone calls, after which one monk turns to another and says “To the Beer Mobile, Joris!” and they jump down a special chute emerging fully costumed inside a custom-built vehicle ready to distribute their special ale to thirsty customers…. But I suspect there is just a recorded message informing people when the beer will next be available. Shame.
When that day comes round, cars start queuing up outside the abbey at 5:15am! The gates don’t open until 10am, and then you are limited to just 2 cases per car. A case (24 bottles) of the Westvleteren 12 costs €36, with the cheapest, the Blond, costing €25 per case. The crates are clearly marked “Not for Resale” but the monks’ wishes are often disregarded and one can find illegally imported Westvleteren 12 on sale at specialist bars and stockists and on the internet for up to £15 a bottle. The monks hate this – such underhand practices go against the Benedictine values under which they work. They urge people to support the Trappist way by only drinking the legit stuff. And you don’t want to mess with these dudes.
