Born out of necessity and proven to be a success. This week marks exactly ten years since the brothers of Maria Toevlucht Abbey decided to start a brewery. ‘De Zundert’ has now made a name for itself as Brabant’s second Trappist beer. “We are proud because we have achieved our goal,” says brewer Christiaan (66).
On the border of the beautiful nature of the Pannenhoef and the Oude Buisse Heide you will find the austere abbey of the Trappists in Klein-Zundert. The brothers founded their abbey there in 1900. The adjacent farm provided them with a livelihood for many years. As the number of monastics steadily decreased, they decided to start brewing beer as a new source of income.
Brother Christiaan: “We actually started thinking about alternative income for the farm about fifteen years ago. We let that rest for a while until the word brewery was mentioned. Trappists are of course not completely unfamiliar with this tradition, but it was new for our abbey. We started looking at other Trappist monasteries and then decided to start a small brewery.”
The hay in the farm’s former barn made way for modern stainless steel brewing kettles, storage barrels and pipes. Brouwerij De Kievit now produces a modest volume of 500,000 liters per year. “Our brewery is small by nature. That is why we brew the beer here, but have it bottled elsewhere,” Brother Christiaan explains.
It doesn’t make us rich because we live in a big house with a guesthouse.
There are ten recognized Trappist beer brands worldwide. Zundert and La Trappe from Berkel-Enschot are the only Trappist beers in the Netherlands. To be labeled ‘Trappist’, the beer must be brewed within the walls of the monastery in the presence of monks. Furthermore, the brothers may only use the proceeds for their own subsistence and to help people in need. “It doesn’t make us rich, because we live in a big house with a guesthouse. That entails considerable costs.”
Until recently, two types of Trappist beer were made in the brewery in Klein-Zundert: Zundert 10 and Zundert 8. A third beer was added especially for the tenth anniversary. According to Brother Christiaan, it was the abbot’s wish: “We did not yet have light table beer that we could serve during the meal. This beer contains only four percent alcohol. It shouldn’t be heavier, otherwise you won’t be able to do anything for the rest of the day.”
We remain stubborn monks for whom brewing beer is not the most important thing.
Nine Trappist brothers from 52 to 87 years old still live in the abbey. Although the monastery now seems inextricably linked to Trappist beer, the monks themselves see it differently. “We remain stubborn monks. For us, brewing beer is not the most important thing. We want to live our lives in a sincere way and give people the opportunity to sympathize with us for a few days. By the way, there are also brothers who don’t drink beer.”
In its relatively short existence, the Trappist beer from Zundert has already won several prizes. Yet brother Christiaan remains modest. “We are sometimes offered other beers, but then we often return to our own brew. Whether our beer is the tastiest? I’ll leave that open. Let’s just say that it is at least familiar.”