Beer by monks—and you don’t even have to travel to Belgium! Today’s Advent beer comes to us from the first Trappist brewery in America, Spencer Brewery in Massachusetts: Trappist Holiday Ale.

This Belgian-styled strong dark ale is 9% alcohol by volume, and the brewery says, “Mahogany in color, wholesome in body, lightly spiced, a heart-warming feast day ale from our table to yours.”

Spencer Brewery is located in St. Joseph’s Abbey and is certified by the International Trappist Association as the first (and so far only) American Trappist brewery. All of the beer is brewed by the monks of the abbey, an activity which helps the monks support themselves as well as providing charitable assistance to the local community and those in need.

The brewery doesn’t simply focus on traditional Belgian-adjacent Trappist styles, but also offers “American Trappist” beers including IPAs, pilsner, imperial stout, and more. With Trappist Holiday Ale, Spencer embraces the Trappist tradition with a big beer as a special treat for this time of the year.

Find Spencer Brewery Trappist Holiday Ale on:

• Spencer’s Beer Finder
• Untappd
• BeerAdvocate
• RateBeer
• Facebook

Image credits: Spencer’s Facebook page and website.