VIRIGNIA BEACH — When most people imagine monks they picture brown robes, constant prayers, Gothic chants, and maybe even funny haircuts.
Seldom, if ever, does that image include beer.
But perhaps it should.
For beer aficionados Trappist ales are some of the best brews in the world. And they’re brewed by monks.
Tuesday evening, Next Door and the Lynnhaven Pub will partner for two tasting classes featuring Trappist ales.
“They’ll hear about the origins and history of Trappist monks, the role brewing and beer has in this religious order, and the influence these products have had on global beer culture,” said Charlotte Elia of Next Door, who is leading the class.
As interesting as that information will be, the best news is that there will be five different Trappist ales the class will get to sample.
The Trappist monks (Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance) are a monastic order of Roman Catholics that originated in La Trappe, France some 400 years ago. They lived in monasteries and led a life dedicated to study and prayer.
And to making beer (but to be fair, the beer was made to help the monks earn money and support the monasteries, and they made other products to sell such as bread and cheese).
Elia, who holds a graduate degree in Theology and serves as the supply preacher at Holmes Presbyterian Church in Cheriton, said the ales typically feature Belgian yeast strains that produce “wonderfully complex fruity esters and spicy phenols.”
“Trappist ales are a place where my passions for beer and theology intersect,” she said.
Today there are only 11 “official” Trappist Breweries in the world and only one in the United States – St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, Mass.
However, there is an official Trappist Association that is in charge of, among other things, granting monasteries trademark and logo rights and ensures that breweries which exist in such monasteries adhere to specific criteria when making Trappist ales.
The tasting class will in two sessions, one at 5:30 p.m. and the other at 7 p.m., with a maximum of 20 participants at each, and Next Door has 13 Trappist ales available for purchase.
