Trappist

What is Trappist?

Trappist is a beer style named after the Trappist monastic order. Only members of the International Trappist Association (ITA) can use this designation today.

Trappist beer is top-fermented and typically has a full body, a high alcohol content, and a malty flavour. Trappist beers are well-known for embodying the Trappist monks’ motto: Beer must be liquid bread, not coloured water.

Based on strength, Trappist beers are classified into enkel, dubbel, trippel, and quadruple, varying significantly in alcohol content and colour. The term "enkel", referring to the lightest beer, is rarely used today.

Currently, Trappist beer is produced by 12 monasteries in Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, France, Spain, and England.

Origin Story

The Trappist beer style is named after the first Trappist monastery, La Grande Trappe, in France. The Trappist order is a branch of the Cistercians that emerged in the 17th century and is characterized by hard physical labour, silence, austerity, isolation from the outside world, and Bible study.

La Trappe monastery is known to have had a brewery as early as 1685. Like other monasteries, the Trappists brewed beer to sustain their community and achieve economic independence. Additionally, charitable activities were supported by the proceeds from beer sales.

In the aftermath of the French Revolution, in 1792, La Trappe monastery was nationalized and many monks died as martyrs. However, the Trappist movement survived, having expanded and gained popularity in neighbouring countries.

Trappist beers became so well-known that other monasteries and secular breweries began imitating their beer styles (dubbel, trippel, etc.). To prevent others from misusing their name and image, the Trappists formed the International Trappist Association (ITA) in 1997.

The ITA created the Authentic Trappist Product (ATP) logo, reserved only for Trappist monasteries whose production strictly followed these designated guidelines:

• The product must be made within the walls of a Trappist monastery
• The production must take place under the supervision of the monastery
• The proceeds must benefit the monastery and the community