The only brewery run by Trappist monks in the United States closes

Spencer Brewery, the first and only certified Trappist brewer in the United States is stopping production of its beers and closing its doors. Now there are only ten Trappist breweries left in the whole world.

In 2022 , St. Joseph’s Abbey Trappist Brewery in Spencer, Massachusetts, became the ninth brewery in the world approved to use the Authentic Trappist Product label and the first brewery to use the label outside of Europe.

According to an announcement from the brewery, after more than a year of consultation and reflection, the monks of St. Joseph’s Abbey have concluded that brewing is not a “viable business” and that it is time to close Spencer Brewery.

“We want to thank all our customers for their support and encouragement over the years”, Spencer Brewery publishes on its Facebook account.

Pre-brewed beer will be available at the usual points of sale, while supplies last.

According to the monks, the brewing project arose out of a need to cover their own expenses and support the community.

“We visited every Trappist brewery to learn as much as we could from our brothers Europeans. Starting at Westmalle Abbey, we slowly made our way through Belgium, staying in monasteries and making friends, getting good advice and drinking some of the best beers in the world”, describe the monks Trappists.

Three criteria are required for a Trappist beer to be certified as authentic: it must be brewed within the walls of the monastery or in the immediate vicinity of the monastery; the monastic community determines production policies; and part of the profits must be donated to disadvantaged communities, groups and individuals.

According to Worcester Magazine, Spencer had been receiving help from Northeastern University to design new ad campaigns to help the brewery expand its scope beyond New England.

Now, when Spencer Brewery closes its operations, the Trappist breweries worldwide are reduced to ten, five of them in Belgium: Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle and Westvleteren. The remaining manufacturers are La Trappe and Zundert from Holland, Engelszell from Austria, Tre Fontane from Italy, and Tynt Meadow from England.

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