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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Monks run out of the world's best beer |
| 2005-08-12 |
| Monks at a Belgian abbey have been forced to stop selling their famous beer after it was voted the best in the world and was promptly sold out. The abbey of Saint Sixtus of Westvleteren in western Belgium is home to some 30 Cistercian and Trappist monks who lead a life of seclusion, prayer, manual labor -- and beer-brewing. A survey of thousands of beer enthusiasts from 65 countries on the RateBeer Web site (www.ratebeer.com) in June rated the Westvleteren 12 beer as the world's best. But the abbey only has a limited brewing capacity, and was not able to cope with the beer's sudden popularity. "Our shop is closed because all our beer has been sold out," said a message on the abbey's answering machine, which it calls the "beer phone." Yes, Comissioner? And the abbey has no intention of boosting its capacity to satisfy market demand. "We are not brewers, we are monks. We brew beer to be able to afford being monks," the father abbot said on the abbey's Web site. Translation: Get your hands off my heinie, baby. Monk Mark Bode told De Morgen daily: "Outsiders don't understand why we are not raising production. But for us life in the abbey comes first, not the brewery." *Hic!* |
| Posted by:Chris W. |
| #9 Painting in the Milwaukee Art Museum, German art of the 19th C.: Two monks in the wine cellar. One, carrying a basket of bottles, has fallen down a short flight of stairs, and is looking with great regret on the smashed bottles and all the good red wine pouring out. The other, hand to his fact to keep from laughing at his comrade's awkward position and woeful expression. |
| Posted by: mom 2005-08-12 22:18 |
| #8 Am I the only one getting Tim Powers flashbacks? |
| Posted by: Phil Fraering 2005-08-12 21:53 |
| #7 I'm gettin' images in my head of the Friar Tuck-esque, burping, beer-loving monk from Kevin Costner's flick ROBIN HOOD, PRINCE OF THIEVES, and about how beer is a divine gift from God himself, or words to that effect. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2005-08-12 21:48 |
| #6 Some of those regional beers are magnificant. Back in the Middle Ages, the Germanic monestaries wanted to consume 'heavy' beer during the month-long Lenten fast. The sent samples to the Vatican to ask if this high calorie, high test beer was acceptable. The Italian wine-drinkers took a sip, spit it out, gagged, and approved its use, along with a commendation to the monks for drinking the horrible stuff for an entire month. My own personal experience is that half a large bottle was able to make several of my friends forget that they had legs. Impressive. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-08-12 21:33 |
| #5 mmurray821, it may be a cool schtick to buy an old monastery and force all brewery workers to wear monks' robes (probably nun's to, not to be discriminatory). Wel, yea, your beer has to be decent... ;-) |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2005-08-12 10:44 |
| #4 Good thing I brew my own beer. Maybe I can sell it on the international market. |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-08-12 10:37 |
| #3 I bet they can make a pretty mean pretzel, too. |
| Posted by: BH 2005-08-12 10:09 |
| #2 we'll make the same amount and just charge a heck of a whole lot more for it. |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-08-12 09:10 |
| #1 I've run out of beer, too. I've been really busy and haven't had time to make any and it takes about 4 weeks. I hope I can hold on 'till then. I think I'll make the Deacon Blues Nut Brown Ale. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2005-08-12 07:56 |