One Of The World’s Best Beers Now Available Online After Belgian Monks Go Digital

From WN

After dealing with a growing black market and inflated prices from resellers, The Trappist monks at St. Sixtus Abbey in Westvleteren in Flanders, Belgium announced on Monday they would be turning to the internet to help manage their newfound popularity, according to The Guardian.

With only 5,000 barrels of the Westvleteren 12 made every year, the 19 Trappist brewers said they were crafting a website for customers to order their two crates, though priority is given to recent and new customers.

Buyers will still need to visit the Flemish brewery in Belgium to pick up their purchases from the shop, but it will allow many to avoid calling the constantly busy hotline, the previous method for buying the rare drink.

Brother Manu van Hecke, the abbot of the St Sixtus abbey, said the Cistercian monastery wanted to retain control, especially after they found their bottles being sold at a Dutch supermarket at inflated prices last year.

“The new sales system meets the needs of many Westvleteren enthusiasts. We have thought long and hard about a good and customer-friendly alternative. Beer sales at the abbey will remain exclusively aimed at private customers,” he said.

“The web store is therefore only accessible to consumers, not to professional buyers. We want to give as many people as possible the opportunity to purchase Trappist Westvleteren at the correct price. Anyone who does not adhere to the sales rules and abuses the system will be denied access to the online store.”

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The new system will go online on Tuesday morning and will allow the monks to sell bottles directly to buyers.

Customers will be required to create a profile which includes their date of birth, address, mobile phone number, email address and the number plate of their car.

The Trappist brewery was able to continue to operate during World I and II since they were the only brewing site which was able to retain the copper vessels throughout the wars.

The abbey started selling its beer to the general public in 1931, and the current production is only 475 kilolitres (60,000 cases) per year, which has remained the same since 1946.

–WN.com, Maureen Foody

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