The monks of the Saint-Sixtus Abbey have been historically cagey about their beer — and for good reason. It’s one of the most sought-after brews in the world. Since 1839, the monks have been brewing their beer, first selling it in 1878 to help bring in some revenue for the abbey.
The prevailing rule around the monks selling their beer has been that the production remains limited only to cover the amount of money needed to keep things running — never for it to become the main goal of their monastic lifestyles. For this reason, people around the world have traveled to try the Saint-Sixtus beers, specifically the world-renowned Westvleteren XII.
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The beer has been hard to track down in the past, partly due to the limited amount created and in part to the very fact that buying it is not easy. According to Reuters, the abbey created a telephone ordering system in 2005. Even then, you were only allowed to order a maximum of two crates and could not place another order within 60 days.
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Of course, people found workarounds. Soon, the monks were hearing of their beer being sold for incredibly inflated prices compared to the $2.82 they were selling bottles for. In response, they’ve created an online ordering system that requires buyers to create in-depth profiles before purchasing their beer.
The new system will launch at the end of the month, as Reuters reports, and the hope is it slows down the bulk buyers to help make it easier for the actual consumers to enjoy their brews straight from the source.
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