The Trappist brewery loses its last monks

In 2012, Engels became the eighth Trappist brewery in the world. But now that the last monks are flagging their way out of the monastery, Bir’s future is uncertain.

The Trappist family grew over the years, with new breweries appearing in countries such as Austria, Great Britain, and the United States, and years later it was a brewery focused on Belgium and Holland.

But in recent years this trend has reversed. In 2021, Achelle stopped being counted as a Trappist brewery, and now another brewery can make the same journey.

Engelsel in Austria has been a Trappist monastery since 1925 and has been part of that beer family since 2012, now with an uncertain future. The reason is that the last four monks in the monastery are about to leave.

Without monks, the monastery could not maintain its status as a Trappist brewery.

Six classic Trappist breweries are located in Belgium and Holland, and have long enjoyed status. Here are the six in parentheses of the monastery’s founding year.

Westmalle (1836)

Westveleteren (1838)

Sime (1863)

La Trappe (1884)

Rochefort (1899)

Orwell (1931)