Spencer Brewery

 Radio BostonFebruary 3, 2014

The Contemplative Life of a Monastic Brewery

For the last 63 years, the monks at St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, Mass. have followed the same routine: prayers at 3:30 in the morning, work from 9 until noon, more prayers, then rest, more work in the afternoon, and then more prayers.

But lately, that quiet contemplative life has gotten a bit of a jolt.

Not far from the stone abbey, with it’s lovely bell-tower pushing toward the winter sky, is a brand new state of the art brewery. Trappists monks have a long tradition of brewing beer, but this is the first Trappist brewery in the United States...

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Public Radio International | January 14 2014

Hallelujah, America has it's first Trappist beer

If we're going to talk monks, now might be a time to confess. When I first heard about beer being brewed by Trappist monks in the US, I thought, "what's the big deal?"

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NPR: All Things Considered January 10, 2014

American Beer Fans, Praise the Heavens: A Trappist Brewery in U.S. 

...Spencer is home to St. Joseph's Abbey, where robed monks are busy brewing the first American Trappist beer...

...The monastery also received some major financing... for a sleek, state-of-the-art brew house...

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Boston Globe January 10, 2014

Spencer Trappist Ale, first Trappist beer in America, launches in Mass.

The first Trappist brewery outside of Europe has started production of beer that is expected to hit retail stores early next week.

The monks at Saint Joseph's Abby in Spencer are rolling out bottles of Spencer Trappist Ale brewed in a 36,000 square foot facility on the monastery grounds...

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