There are many saints affiliated with beer, in large part because beer was brewed primarily by monks throughout much of Europe’s history. Those monks, in an early display of branding, often chose a saint to represent their particular beer. Indeed, many beers in Europe, particularly southern Germany, still carry a moniker derived from a Saint or a monastery.
It shouldn’t be surprising, then, that there are many patron saints of beer and pretty much every aspect of the brewing process. We’ve already discussed Saints Columbanus, Brigid, and the monks who gave us bock beer, although not technically saints. Interestingly, two …read more

The return of Hopfen and Malz
Writing my previous post (Saints of the Suds #3) got me to thinking about the role of beer in our daily lives. It doing a little basic research into the history of beer consumption, there was a time in which beer held a much more prominent place in our daily lives. Today most people in our culture see beer as something recreational… something we indulge in when we knock off of work or when we are partying with friends on the weekend. How did this disconnect happen? Is it something …read more

Another edition of Hopfen und Malz, this time with a more historical take on German double bock beers and the fasting period of Lent. Enjoy!
Ok, so this is a pretty broad and impersonal grouping to qualify as a “saint.” Then again, I could probably do a whole series in this column just on the contributions that monks have made to beer. No experienced beer drinker needs to be reminded of the contributions Belgian monks made to the cause of expanding our palettes. But in this season of dopplebocks and starkbiers, it is really to the German brothers …read more

It’s another Monday, and time for another installment of Hopfen und Malz

This will be the first of a small series of sporadic entries dedicated to Saints who loved beer. While there are a number of authentic accounts of Saints who personally imbibed, praised or otherwise promoted beer, they are a minority when compared to the number of Saints who went on record condemning our favorite beverage. But let’s move onto our first entry.
Saint Columbanus (543-615) was an Irish born Saint who helped bring Celtic monasticism to the continent. There are two associations connecting him with beer. The first is a …read more