In 2016 UNESCO named Belgian Beer Culture to their “Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.” According to the organization’s website, “making and appreciating beer is part of the living heritage of a range of communities throughout Belgium. It plays a role in daily life, as well as festive occasions.” No one brand embodies this more than the beer brewed by the Trappist monks of Scourmont Abbey, Chimay.
For many Belgians the grounds of Abbeys served as a place for a family stroll on Sunday. This is often followed by a late lunch at a nearby restaurant that presents Trappist beers with expert care in their proper chalice. According to their founding charter, Trappist monasteries were erected in areas that needed both social and economic support. That is why over 90% of the proceeds from the sale of Chimay goes directly to charity. The activities of brewing, as well as cheese making have helped restore local farming in their region.
Chimay is a heritage brand revered by both connoisseurs and brewers alike in Belgium, but a beer cannot reach world-wide acclaim merely by being old. The monks at Scourmont Abbey have been committed to the same principles for over a century. Placing the virtues of quality and sustainability ahead of profit led the brewery to send the monk, Father Theodore, to learn the latest in brewing technology at University of Louvain after WWII. Alongside Professor Jean De Clerck he was able to isolate the yeast strain that is still used today to make Chimay beers. Still on the cutting edge of brewing technology Chimay has set a gold standard for the use of wind and solar energy.
In a market full of endless product offerings of variable quality, Chimay brews five beers executed to perfection and they serve as a timeline of the brewery’s rich history.