Belgian Trappist & Abbey Beer
Trappist is the name of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, also known as the Trappist Order. The order takes its name from La Trappe Abbey, located in the French province of Normandy. It is a Roman Catholic religious order of cloistered contemplative monastics who strictly follow the Rule of St. Benedict. Many of the rules have been relaxed since they were written in the 6th century. However, a fundamental tenet, that monasteries should be self-supporting, is still maintained by these groups. Following this rule, most Trappist monasteries produce a wide range of goods that are sold to provide income for the monastery. They are probably most famous for their beers, which are unique within the beer world. There are ten Trappist breweries in the world from which six in Belgium: Westmalle, Westvleteren, Achel, Chimay, Orval and Rochefort. Their beers are easy to recognize thanks to the hexagonal logo of an Authentic Trappist Product (www.trappist.be), which means that the beer was brewed within or in the close vicinity of the walls of a Trappist monastery under supervision of the trappist monks. The brewery must be of secondary importance within the monastery and there should be no intention to make profit. Margins are in this philosophy less important and the trappist monks have less pressure to reduce costs. They have no problem to use the best, more expensive ingredients, guarantee for a product of top quality. The main goal is to cover the expenses of the trappist monks, and what remains should be donated to charity. Drinking a Trappist beer is therefore always a bit charity (beside the pleasure it offers). The Trappist association has a legal standing, and its logo gives the consumer some information and guarantees about the product. The name does not infer anything about the beer type. The high concentration of Trappist beers in Belgium is an important part of the specificity of the Belgian beer culture.