Trappist beer
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Trappist logoA Trappist beer is a beer brewed in or by authorization of a Trappist monastery. Of the world's 171 Trappist monasteries (as of April 2005), seven produce beer (six in Belgium, one in The Netherlands). Only six of these are authorized to label their beers with the Authentic Trappist Product logo that indicates conformity with various production standards.
History
The Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance (or shortly, Trappist Order) was founded in the 1660s in La Trappe, France, after a quarrel with the Cistercian Order. The Trappists, like many other religious people, brewed beer to fund their work, and monastery brewhouses existed in Belgium, France, Germany and The Netherlands. Many Trappist breweries were destroyed in the French Revolution and the World Wars. The popularity of Trappist beers drew some unscrupulous brewers with no connection to the order to label their beers "Trappist." Monks sued one such brewer in 1962 in Ghent, Belgium.
The International Trappist Association
In 1997, eight trappist abbeys (six from Belgium, one from The Netherlands and one from Germany) founded the International Trappist Association (ITA) to prevent non-Trappist breweries from abusing their label. This private association, which has no particular legal standing, created a logo (see the picture) that is assigned to goods (cheese, beer, wine, etc.) that respect precise production criteria. For the beers, those criteria are the following :
- The beer must be brewed within the walls of a Trappist abbey, by or under control of Trappist monks.
- The brewery, the choices of brewing, and the commercial orientations must obviously depend on the monastic community.
- The economic purpose of the brewery must be directed toward assistance and not toward financial profit.
There are six breweries that are allowed to label their beers with the Authentic Trappist Product logo, all Belgian:
- Bières de Chimay
- Brasserie d'Orval
- Brasserie de Rochefort
- Brouwerij Westmalle
- Westvleteren
- Brouwerij der Sint-Benedictusabdij de Achelse
However, this does not mean that there are only six trappist breweries. La Trappe used to wear the "authentic trappist product" logo, but the monks of the abbey of Tilburg got into a dispute with the ITA after signing a commercial deal with Bavaria Brewery around 1997. Around 1999, they decided to withdraw (around 1999) this Authentic Trappist Product logo.
References
- Official site of the international trappist association (http://trappist.arti-design.be/index.cfm?v=01&taal=en)
- All about trappist beer (http://www.trappistbeer.net)
- Explanation from the monks of La Trappe in regard with the trappist logo and trappist beer dispute (http://www.de-verzamelaar.nl/BIEREN/TRAPPIST/SCHAAPSKOOIJ/la_trappenl.htm) - in Dutch
- Official website of the Trappist Order (http://www.ocso.org/net/drcty_m.htm)et:Trappist