Not surprisingly, beer lovers stampeded to west Flanders to grab the coveted brew — and quickly exhausted the supply. To the amazement of the market-driven public, the monks refused to brew more until their next scheduled production cycle. They had brewed enough to cover their yearly expenses and give a little to charity. It was time to pray and reflect.
As I contemplated my remaining bottles of the world’s rarest beer in my refrigerator (hmm, drink the world’s rarest beer now or save for later?), I recalled the Trappist injunction that I read in the In de Vrede Claustrum: “Beer brewing is not the goal of our life … ‘We brew beer in order to live, but we don’t live in order to brew.’ ”
If You GoSaint Sixtus Abbey (Donkerstraat 12, 8640 Westvleteren, 011-32-57-40-18-84,
www.sintsixtus.be) is located about three miles north of Poperinge, seven and a half miles northwest of Ypres, and roughly 77 miles northwest of
Brussels. When available, cases of beer can be purchased in limited quantities at the monastery. In de Vrede café (Donkerstraat 13, 8640 Westvleteren, 011-32-57-40-03-77,
www.indevrede.be) sells by the glass and in six-packs.
The Palace Hotel (34 Ieperstraat, Poperinge, 011-32-57-33-30-93,
www.hotelpalace.virtualave.net) is a friendly period hotel with more than 100 craft beers in their bar. The restaurant offers Hoppeland specialties, including
Poperingse hennepot (chicken in aspic) and, during the three-week spring season,
jets de houblon (hops shoots).
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