Abbey Beers
Abbey beers arose in the Middle Ages, abbeys started brewing beer to create their income. In those days beer was a very popular drink because drinking the polluted water was unhealthy. Due to the boiling process during brewing, the bacteria were killed and therefore drinking beer was much more healthy than drinking water.
“Abbey Beers” is the collective name used for beers of which the brand refers to an existing or no longer existing abbey. In order to carry the label of “Certified Belgian Abbey Beer”, the beer must comply with several conditions.
Abbey breweries
In the first half of the 20th century the number of beer brewing abbeys decreased as a result of the melting of seized wort boilers to produce weapons for World War I and II. Later on abbeys restarted to brew beer.
Like Trappist beer, Abbey beers exists in different versions: blonde, double, triple and quadruple. Typical about Belgian abbey beer is the re-fermentation in the bottle.