Leicester, England, Jun 28, 2018 / 01:49 am
The label of "Trappist" is among the most exclusive designations of beer worldwide, with only 11 breweries around the globe qualifying for the title.
But that number is about to become 12, with the Cistercian monks at Mount Saint Bernard Abbey in Leicestershire gaining recognition as the first Trappist brewery in U.K. history.
The Leicestershire monks, who previously tried their luck at dairy farming, began exploring the idea of brewing beer in 2013 after they closed their dairy for monetary reasons. Inspired by the brew monks of Norcia in Italy, the U.K. monks visited the Norcia brewery a number of times and decided to move forward with a beer of their own.
After visiting other brew abbeys and conducting five years of extensive research, the monks opted to brew Belgian beer and began experimenting on the feast of St. Lutgard – a saint who was known for surviving on bread and beer during fasts.