Belgian abbey beer

Abbey beers

Belgian abbey beer is not an isolated beer style. Several beers fall under this umbrella name. Belgian abbey beer is specialty beer from a brewery connected to an abbey. So it says something about the origin of the beer, not about taste. But did you know that there are Belgian abbey beers that are not connected to an abbey? I hear you thinking: how is that possible? I'll explain it to you!

What is abbey beer?

For the origins of Abbey beer we have to go back a long way, back to the Middle Ages. Beer was a popular drink at this time, it could perhaps be seen as the water of today. Monks in abbeys were also allowed to drink beer. A monastery is actually a self-sufficient community dedicated to faith. Monasteries often produced different products, this was done to create their income. She also brewed beer

When is beer abbey beer?

Abbey beer is traditional Belgian beer that is brewed in an abbey. These are variations on blond, double, triple and quadrupel beers. It is therefore not a beer style, but an umbrella term for specialty beers that are linked to a monastic community.

Still, there is some confusion here. There are, in contrast to Trappists, no rules for abbey beers. Every brewer can call his beer abbey beer. So there are beers called abbey beer, which are not connected to an abbey at all.

The differences between abbey beer

I will explain the difference to you, so that next time you can check whether you are drinking a recognized abbey beer 😉

A recognized Belgian abbey beer is easy to recognize. The bottle will bear the quality mark “Recognised Belgian Abbey Beer”. This quality mark indicates that this beer is linked to an abbey. For example with the beers from Val Dieu or for Ename abbey beers. The quality mark was established in 1999 by the Union of Belgian Brewers. This is an association to which almost all brewers in Belgium are members.

When a recognized abbey beer?

I could list all the rules for you here, but I think I would rather give you a brief summary of the requirements. The beer must be brewed in an abbey, or at least there must be a connection according to the rules. Real beer must have been brewed in this abbey in the past. Furthermore, the brewery must pay loyalty contributions to the abbey and the abbey has a right to control the brewery's publications.

What if the abbey no longer exists?

In 1999, the Union introduced this rule. For abbey beers that were already on the market in 1999, more flexible rules apply than those that were created after that.

The big difference is that the abbey beers before 1999 may also be associated with an abbey that no longer exists. In this case they are connected to a foundation that is connected to this former abbey, so the brewery pays loyalty contributions to this.

Fancy an abbey beer?

I'm sure that the next time you drink a Belgian abbey beer, you will check the label. You will quickly recognize the characteristic of Recognized Belgian Abbey Beer. Please take a look at our range Belgian abbey beers, there is bound to be something for you!

Cheers!