In this Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014 photo Father Damion, Abbot at St. Joseph's Trappist Abbey in Spencer, Mass., stands in the community's library. St. Joseph's is a community of 63 Trappistine monks. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)
January 15, 2014 - 10:09 PM
SPENCER, Mass. - The monks of St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Mass., have long been known for their jams and jellies. Now they're brewing the first Trappist beer to be produced outside the monasteries of Europe.
Spencer Trappist Ale will be sold at first in Massachusetts to help the monks maintain their aging buildings about an hour west of Boston. They hope to eventually distribute the sweet, yeasty golden beer nationally and one day, internationally.
Their European brothers, whose beers are considered some of the best in the world, were skeptical at first and concerned for the reputation of Trappist beer. But they counselled the American monks on brew making and helped get the recipe just right.
News from © The Associated Press, 2014