Brewer monks battle to protect a rare and potent ale

By CATHERINE FIELD Herald correspondent

PARIS - A strict Catholic sect devoted to peace and silence has launched a war of words to protect its world-famous ale, which it says is threatened by the French tax authorities.

The 338-year-old order of the Trappists makes the potent brew in just six monasteries and has earned ecstatic praise from beer-lovers around the world.

But a law approved by the French Senate and National Assembly in November will lead to a 50 per cent increase in the price of beers with an alcohol content of more than 8.5 per cent.

The aim behind the law is to discourage teenage drinking and booze-related violence, but the monks say the legislation is daft, violates the European Union's free trade rules and could cost them €2.5 million ($4.9 million) a year in revenue.

The monastery-breweries, five of them in Belgium and one in the Netherlands, follow ancient recipes, using only the traditional ingredients of malt, sugar, hops and yeast, which are brewed to the highest standard.

The ales are fermented for between five and seven weeks, then rough-filtered to take out deposits. The brew is then bottled, with extra yeast added, and allowed to condition for another three months.

The result is a strong, malty and fruity ale, but with a subtle spicy or acidic tang that is the signature of the individual monastery.

The monasteries make about 20 types of beer, the most famous of which are Westmalle, Orval and the three Chimay labels, with alcoholic content ranging from 6.5 to 9 per cent.

These ales are unique and have a devoted following in Europe. That has prompted big European brewers to imitate them by launching so-called "abbey beers", but the copies are considered poor.

They are usually rough and strong and inevitably have a jolly monk in a brown habit on the label.

Henroz Phillippe, a spokesman for the Trappist brewers, says the new law makes no sense because a 750ml bottle of low-quality wine can be bought for about €2.5, roughly the price of a can of strong beer but with 40 per cent more alcohol in it.

"If somebody wants to get drunk quickly, they would go for a bottle of cheap wine rather than a specialist beer."

He says the Trappists have filed a complaint with the European Commission, the EU's executive, asking that the law be amended on competition grounds.

Wines are not being penalised in the same way, mainly because of the power of the grape lobby and because none of the major French breweries makes a strong, specialist ale, says Aymeric Gillet, who heads ATPUB, an association of French beer-lovers which is lobbying the European Parliament.

"As usual, wine gets a wonderful let-off," he says. "This is a law that wants to kill off the market for strong beer."

The Trappists - formally called the Cistercians of the Strict Observance - trace their origins to 1664, when they were founded at La Trappe monastery in France. They were expelled after the 1789 French Revolution and moved into Belgium, where several monastery-breweries were set up.

Trappists keep about 10 per cent of the profits to help maintain the monasteries and the rest goes to good causes.