The history of St. Bernardus has its origins in two different Trappist monasteries - one gave the brewery its name and the other the beer. This promising symbiosis is the origin of an eventful history and the birth of an excellent Trappist beer. And anyone who has previously thought that only wine and cheese are a good combination should take a look at the history of St. Bernard beer.
The name St. Bernard refers to the Trappist monks of Mont des Cats from Godewaersvelde in France. Due to political unrest and increasing bad feelings against the clergy, the monks decided to move to the small, tranquil area of Watou in Belgium and turned a farm into the "Refuge Notre-Dame de St.Bernard". There they began to produce their own cheese. The life of the Trappist monks is divided into contemplative, spiritual work with God and practical, manual work. Therefore, many Trappist monasteries engaged in agricultural and similar productive work such as cheese making or brewing beer. After some time, the monks returned to France and Evarist Deconinck took over the now orphaned production. He expanded the cheese factory and sold the cheese as "St. Bernard Watou". It was only after the Second World War that beer production came into focus: the Trappist monks of the St. Sixtus monastery in Westvleteren were looking for someone to market their beer. They transferred the beer license to the cheese factory, which led to the founding of the St. Bernard Beer brewery. When the license for Sixtus beer finally expired in 1992, the same beer was continued to be brewed using the same recipe, but the name of the brand was changed to St. Bernardus.
Trappist beers have a long tradition in Belgium and are valued for their tried and tested recipes. Only a little more than a handful of breweries are allowed to brew beers that bear the name Trappist beer; it is a symbol of particular quality. The beer from St. Bernardus no longer formally meets these criteria since it was taken over by Evarist Deconinck, but the good taste and centuries-old recipes have not changed. The traditional brewery attaches great importance to the artisanal production of its beer and manages to meet the growing demands of modern beer drinkers. Among the classics, the St. Bernardus range always includes innovative seasonal beers such as their popular Christmas Ale , which shake up the selection and attract the attention of discerning beer connoisseurs.
Brasserie ST.Bernard
Trappistenweg 23
B-8978 Watou
Belgien 
