Monasteries and monks usually exist beyond public attention. 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. The situation is different with the Trappist monks, who made a good name for themselves centuries ago with their fine brews. Like many orders, the Cistercians also earned money for the monastery's needs and charitable purposes by brewing and selling beer in the Middle Ages. 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 may only be used for creations that are actually brewed by Trappist monks. Thirteen breweries worldwide bear the seal and the Spencer brewery was one of them.
Most Trappist monasteries today are located in Europe or its neighboring countries: Belgium has the most brewing monasteries with six, followed by the Netherlands with two monastery breweries, and then France, Italy, Spain, Austria, England and the USA with one each. St. John's Abbey in Massachusetts was founded in the mid-20th century. At the time, the monks made money selling jams and jellies. It wasn't until 2010 that the idea of brewing beer came up. The abbey asked other Trappist breweries, looked at beer festivals and 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 brewing about 20 test brews for their debut with the help of a professional brewmaster, the monks were happy with the results and made their first beer. Their Spencer Trappist Ale was extremely well received and laid the foundation for several successful years of brewing, during which the brewery won awards and accolades. However, when the pandemic swept 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 remainder of their work is being sold off and is now a real rarity.
We regret this development and wish the monks of St. John's Abbey all the best!
Spencer Brewery
167 North Spencer Road
MA 01562 Spencer
Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika 
