All Abbeys brewed beer for their own consumption and for the consumption of the people living around the Abbeys. In the early 1950’s most Abbeys stopped brewing since the influx of new monks dried up. Almost all of these Abbeys licensed the brewing of their beer out to commercial breweries after giving them the recipes and the yeast. These commercial breweries pay royalties to the abbeys. Beer, with a historic root in an abbey, but now brewed by commercial breweries are called Abbey Ales.

The Abbey ales of Belgium are considered some of the best beers of the world, with a long tradition, and complex in nature, flavor and taste. There is absolutely no pub or restaurant in Belgium that doesn’t offer a few Abbey ales