Spencer Brewery

Monasteries and monks generally exist beyond the public eye. The men of God carry out their services in silence and contemplation; there are few points of contact with the rest of the world and often only in the immediate vicinity of the abbey. It's different with the Trappist monks, who made a good name for themselves centuries ago with their fine brews. Like many orders, the Cistercians earned money for monastic needs and charitable purposes as early as the Middle Ages by brewing and selling beer. The brothers' barley juice was carried all over the world by wandering monks and was already famous in the Middle Ages. Today the term “Trappist beer” is protected and can only be used for creations that are actually brewed by Trappist monks. Thirteen breweries worldwide carry the seal and Spencer Brewery was one of them.

The only Trappists far and wide

Most Trappist monasteries are now located in Europe or in neighboring countries: Belgium has the highest number with six brewing monasteries, the Netherlands follows with two monastery breweries and then France, Italy, Spain, Austria, England and the USA come with one monastery brewery each . St. John's Abbey in Massachusetts was founded in the mid-20th century. Back then, the monks earned money by selling jams and jellies. It wasn't until 2010 that the idea of brewing beer came about. The abbey asked other Trappist breweries, looked at beer festivals and trade fairs and decided to give it a try. The brewery opened in 2013 and was well received as the only certified Trappist brewery in the United States. After the monks brewed around 20 test brews for their debut with the help of a professional brewer, they were satisfied with the result and produced their first beer. Their Spencer Trappist Ale was well received and laid the foundation for several successful years of brewing, with the brewery winning awards and accolades. However, when the pandemic swept across the country and brought the restaurant industry to a standstill, the Spencer Brewery also suffered major losses. People were no longer spending as much money on luxury goods and higher priced craft beer definitely fell into that category. The monks were able to keep the brewery running until 2022, but then they pulled the emergency brake and closed the business. The remaining stock of her work is sold off and is now considered a real rarity.

We regret this development and wish the monks of St. John's Abbey all the best!