On International Beer Day, Raise a Glass to the Sisters!
“From man’s sweat and God’s love, beer came into the world” (St. Arnulf of Metz).
Sometimes, when funds are badly needed, you have to be creative and step out of your comfort zone.
The nuns of Maredret Abbey in Belgium did just that when they pursued beer brewing in order to pay for building renovations. In 2021, after a multi-year collaboration with a brewer and importer, Maredret Abbey launched two beers that also incorporate the history and values of their Benedictine community.
Including Their Heritage In Their Products
As many business owners have seen, when product development includes personal elements, the results are all the more special.
In the case of Maredret Abbey, the beer recipes incorporate ingredients such as cloves, juniper berries, coriander, and sage, plants which are regularly grown in the garden at the Abbey. And the beers’ base, a grain called spelt, is a nod to St. Hildegard, the Abbey’s inspiration, who mentioned the ancient grain in her writings.
When a product or idea stems from a family recipe or something that a business owner has a hand in growing, marketing it also means sharing a bit about oneself.
“Liquid Bread”
Beer-making originates in the Middle East, then moves to Rome, and then to the northern European monasteries. These monasteries often made their own food and drink, including beer. Beer was safer than water at that time, since the brewing process killed the bacteria that was often present in streams due to their multi-purpose use.
With ingredients that included oatmeal and other heavy cereals, beer became an economic and healthy option—so much so that light beer was served to children at monastic orphanages. It was safer to drink than water and milk and also had antibiotic properties, which prevented or cured some childhood illnesses.
It makes sense that this “liquid bread” would long be connected to monasteries and abbeys, since they have been serving and caring for large numbers of people throughout the ages.
St. Brigid and the Women Following in Her Footsteps
When thinking about saints, beer probably doesn’t often come to mind. However, a prayer that is attributed to St. Brigid, who lived in Ireland in the early fifth century, references giving God a lake of beer. Sounds like St. Brigid held beer in very high regard!
A German nun, Sister Doris Engelhard, who has been the master brewer at Bavaria’s Mallersdorf Abbey brewery for more than 50 years, would likely agree. Since 1969, Sister Doris has been responsible for producing 80,000 gallons of beer annually.
Again, the history of Sister Doris’ abbey’s beer production stems from making one’s own food and drink and caring for the poor. The nuns at the Mallersdorf Abbey opened the brewery in 1881 to raise money for its mission, which included caring for hundreds of children.
Using Business to Advance Ministry
When the sisters of Maredret Abbey decided to enter the beer-making arena a few years ago, they communicated with their neighbors, the monks at nearby Maredsous Abbey, who had already been making beer. Although it may have seemed like another pub was moving in on the same block, Sister Gelertrude notes that the neighboring business endeavors are viewed as complementary, not competitive.
As the sisters of Maredret Abbey have seen during the past few years (they predicted at the end of 2021 that they would have an increase in sales from about 300,000 bottles to about three million over the next couple of years), a business venture can be an effective way to generate needed funds and share one’s message and purpose. By licensing the abbey’s name, the generated royalties help fund the abbey and its needs.
Beer as Hospitality
With its nutritional and historical qualities, beer can be viewed a gift of hospitality, as demonstrated for hundreds of years by the faithful in abbeys and monasteries living out the instruction, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35).
With their successful venture taking off, the sisters of Maredret Abbey have joined women like St. Brigid and Sister Doris who appreciate beer for its unique place in abbey life and livelihood.
Linda A. Burrows is an attorney specializing in trusts and estates in southern California. She is the founder of Soul Soda, a non-profit with the mission of refreshing faith in those, particularly Catholics, who are feeling disconnected from their religious roots. She is a wife and mother of three teens. Linda’s Confirmation name was that of St. Gabriel the Archangel.