Lent is a 40-day season of penance and spiritual reflection for Catholics worldwide, marked by abstinence and fasting. While modern Lenten sacrifices often involve giving up luxuries like social media or sweets, the monks of centuries past took a more unconventional approach: a beer-only diet. What sounds like a frat house challenge actually increased their focus and clarity
The Paulaner Monks and the Need for Liquid Sustenance
In the 1600s, the Paulaner Monks of Southern Italy relocated to the Cloister Neudeck ob der Au in Bavaria. Their strict order required them to abstain from all solid foods during the entire 40 days of Lent. This naturally raised the question of how they would maintain proper nutrition throughout the season.
The Paulaners' solution was to brew a special, unusually strong beer that would provide high levels of carbohydrates and nutrients to fight off malnutrition. This "liquid bread," as the monks liked to call it, was intended to cleanse both body and soul. According to German brewer Paulaner, the monks created an “unusually strong” beer that provided the carbohydrates and nutrients grown men needed to make it through a long workday of prayer and drinking more beer.
This was an early doppelbock-style beer, which the monks eventually sold in the community and which was an original product of Paulaner brewery, founded in 1634. Back in the 1600s, Paulaner monks moved from Southern Italy to the Cloister Neudeck ob der Au in Bavaria. They needed something other than water to sustain them, so the monks turned to a common staple of the time of their region - beer.
Sankt Vater: The Holy Father Beer
The monk beer created for Lent, known as “Sankt Vater,” which roughly translates to “Holy Father Beer,” is still on sale today by Paulaner brewing. The monks were strict during Lent, they weren’t allowed any food during the 40-day fast. Obviously, the monks would not be able to live on water alone. And since they were in Munich, the drink they created was an “unusually strong” monk beer that provided the carbohydrates and nutrients grown men needed to make it through a long workday of prayer and drinking more beer.
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Vine Pair explains that the monks, proud of their work, became worried that the brew was too delicious to count as a Lenten sacrifice. In a bit of a twist, during the long trip from Bavaria to Rome, the beer spoiled. Somewhere around the year 1700 they sent a barrel of their own brew to the Pope in Rome and asked for his opinion. But on the long way through the Alps and the hot Italian sun, the beer got pretty disgusting and the Pope was horrified when he tried it. He sent word back that this nasty brew was perfect to cleanse the monks from all sins, and they should drink as much as possible.
Monastic Brewing Traditions
Monk beer isn’t your daddy’s beer, although it could have been. It could even have been your granddaddy’s beer. And his daddy. Most in the craft beer crowd know monk beer as “Trappist beer,” and it’s been brewing for over 400 years. It’s survived world wars, fascist dictatorships and scores of other terrible things that have happened across Europe in that time. The rules of these Catholic monasteries be self-sufficient and that the monks work with their hands. There are generally four kinds of monk beer, with each denoting the strength of the brew: enkel (single), dubbel (double), tripel (triple) and quadrupel (take a guess). Some of those 17th Century monks brewed another kind of beer, one that was much stronger than the other.
Before the craft beer crowd jump on me, it’s important to note a few things. First, Paulaner isn’t brewed exclusively by monks anymore, and Paulaner wouldn’t be considered a Trappist beer, anyway. But there are still 14 Trappist monk beers and scores of abbey beers brewed by monks for monks (and for general consumption). These are either brewed in an abbey or under monks’ supervision. Also, the proceeds from the sale of these fine beers go toward the abbey and its charitable works.
For the heathens and pagans not in the know, every year Christians of a certain cloth will physically atone for their sins over 40 days. The practice varies by sect, but self-denial is generally universal in Lent practices. This is especially true for Catholic monks.
Economic Impact and Controversy
Whatever the monks didn’t drink acme shared with the poor in the region or else sold at markets for a rate much more discounted than other local breweries were selling. The local brewers complained that monk beer was wrecking the industry, and wrote a letter in 1634 to the authorities. Even though the Neudeck ob der Au Monastery wasn’t licensed to sell any of their homebrew until 1780, it seems that the monks weren’t afraid to make a little money on the side, since there are many documented complaints about drunkards hanging round the monastery.
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A Modern Take on the Monastic Fast
In 2011, J. Wilson, a Christian working as an editor for a county newspaper in Iowa, heard this story and became intent on recreating the monk’s fast. Could a beer-only fast really be accomplished? J. He had regular check-ups with his doctor and obtained permission from his boss for the fast, drinking four beers over the course of a work day and five beers on Saturdays and Sundays. In order to ensure his health, Wilson had weekly checkups with his doctor and even got permission from his employers to drink on the job (at lunch time), drinking four beers over the course of a work day and five beers on Saturdays and Sundays.
As Wilson blogged about his fast, he received numerous requests for interviews from media outlets all over the country, but he resisted the urge to answer all of them, turning his new intense clarity towards his faith and the reason for the fast. “It left me with the realization that the monks must have been keenly aware of their own humanity and imperfections.
Wilson, a Christian working as an editor for a county newspaper in Iowa, heard this story and became intent on recreating the monk’s fast. Since Ash Wednesday, J. Wilson of Iowa has consumed only water and beer a specially brewed, high-calorie Doppelbock. German monks practiced a similar fast centuries ago, known as a liquid bread diet. J. Wilson has finished two kegs so far and lost 15 pounds. He said his aim is not to get drunk during his beer fast, but adds: if you walk in the rain, you get wet.
Homebrewer and author J. Wilson tried the Doppelbock Diet in 2011 and lost 25.5 pounds, so it seems a more effective way to lose kilos than the All Wine Diet of William the Conqueror.
Reflections on the Beer Fast
“Aside from cramming it [the body] full of junk food, we don’t ask much of it. We take it for granted. It is capable of much more than many of us give it credit for. “It left me with the realization that the monks must have been keenly aware of their own humanity and imperfections.
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Of course, Catholics are not required to give up all solid foods for Lent, but we are all called to do penance during this season in emulation of Christ’s 40-day fast in the wilderness. If healthy, adults aged 18-59 must fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and are encouraged to continue the Good Friday fast through Holy Saturday to the Easter Vigil. Fasting is interpreted to mean eating one full meal and two smaller meals that, taken together, do not equal that one full meal. In the book of Matthew, the Bible tells us that a man cannot live on bread alone. Lent doesn’t have to be time without booze.