These 17th Century Monks Did a Beer Fast for Lent, by Matt Hadro

By Matt Hadro, Catholic News, Agency, Feb. 28, 2022

Matt Hadro is the political editor at Catholic News Agency. He previously worked as CNA senior D.C. correspondent and as a press secretary for U.S. Congressman Chris Smith.

Washington D.C., Feb 28, 2022 / 03:25 am – With the Lenten (season) about to begin, Catholics will be immersing themselves in 40 days of abstaining from sweets, technology, alcohol and other luxuries.

But did you know that Catholic monks once brewed beer specifically for a liquid-only Lenten fast?

Back in the 1600s, Paulaner monks moved from Southern Italy to the Cloister Neudeck ob der Au in Bavaria. “Being a strict order, they were not allowed to consume solid food during Lent,” the braumeister and beer sommelier of Paulaner Brewery Martin Zuber explained in a video on the company’s website. …