Alcohol-producing Catholic monasteries?

Question

We all know that the some Trappist monasteries produce their famous Trappist beer. A little less know fact is that the Carthusian monks at the Grande Chartreuse in France produces their world famous Chartreuse liqueur.

My question is quite simple: Are there any other Catholic monasteries or Religious Orders that produce any other alcoholic beverages available to be bought by the general public?

I am not asking for alcoholic beverages that are named after some Religious Order or personage like Frangelico.

Answer 1

There are some other Cistercian monasteries like the Abbey of New Clairvaux, which has a vineyard and produces wine. Also, Sierra Nevada produces the Ovila beers in cooperation with the abbey.

It should be noted that the abbey can be considered a Trappist monastery, but that the beer is not sanctioned by the International Trappist Association, and is therefore not a 'trappist beer'.

Ampleforth Abbey is a Benedictine monastery that produces beer.

And you may be interested in this book which describes, as the title puts it, making wine under Buddhist supervision.

Answer 2

Monastic alcohol production goes back a long ways. Probably as old as the Catholic church. In fact, I think that at one time in Europe you had to be part of the church just to produce alcohol.

This page has 11 different beer producers, which are known as Trappist monasteries mostly in France and Belgium

Here are a list of 24 Benedictine breweries in Germany

This page lists many monastic wineries which are mostly in Burgundy and Champagne

Remember it was Dom Perignon that "invented" Champagne

Bénédictine is a liquor made in a Abbey in Normandy

The list goes on... search on Benedictine, Trappist, Cistercians will yield a ton of results.

So to sum it up, most of these monastic drinks are for sale to the public. That's how they raise money to keep things going, so yes you can buy most of these somewhere in the world.

Answer 3

Gocce imperiali are produced by some Cistercians Abbeys in Italy. Their ABV is 90%, which is quite high (please note that "pure" alcool is usually sold in bottles with ABV of 95%).

Answer 4

Birra Nursia, Italy, from St. Benedict's birth town, made by the Benedictine Monks of Norcia. Their motto is "ut lætificet cor", "that (your) heart may be gladdened".

Answer 5

There is a little known Stellina that is produced by the Order of the Sainte Famille in France.

Stellina is a herbal liqueur made by the monastic order of the Sainte Famille (Holy Family) in Belley, France. It is considered similar to Chartreuse, both being made by monks in the same region, to secret recipes, and also coming in both green and yellow. However, Stellina is much younger (dating to 1904, rather than 1605), smaller (the Sainte Famille order has 300 members), and much less-known than Chartreuse. - Stellina (Wikipedia)

The Order uses the revenues to help the various missions abroad.

The secrecy is vital, he says, to protect the monastery’s key asset. “We receive a percentage of the sales and use it to help Third World countries. The money doesn’t pay for beautiful cars or houses, it finances our missions in Burkina Faso, the Ivory Coast and Benin, in India and the Philippines, and in Colombia, Brazil and Ecuador.” - This obscure liqueur may save your soul

Green Stellina Liqueur