Clerical Concoctions

[Damian]

Consumption of wine is an integral part of the Catholic ritual Mass whereby wine is mixed with water and is believed by the faithful to "transubstantiate" into the blood of Christ.  Other Christian religions maintain use wine and maintain that the wine retains is essence along with the presence of the Divine ("consubstantiation") or that the wine does not contain God's essence but has symbolic value in the Last Supper.  I also believe that there is ritual wine drinking in the Seder meal that is central to the Jewish celebration of Passover.  Needless to say, there is a strong Judeo/Christian tradition in the drinking of alcoholic beverages, ritual and otherwise.

All of this is prelude to a discussion of alcoholic beverages (a much larger topic would be foodstuffs) either made by clergy either or consumed as part of a ritual.  Someone more knowledgeable than I may know why these crafts have persisted among clerical orders.

I believe it is Trappist monks in Belgium who are responsible for bringing Chimay's line of ales to the world.  Trappists make a variety of foods (bread, jam, honey, etc.), but, if I am correct, this ale which many rank among the best in the world has been made by them for centuries, proably using methods and traditions passed down from generations of monks.  

Another example people have been discussing is Chartreuse.  There are other liqueurs with clerical roots such as Benedictine and Frangelico, but these are not made by clerics today to my knowledge.

[Rail Paul]

In the older Christian tradition, an abstinence from food and beverage (the fast) was required prior to communion. The traditional abstinence began at compline (prayers at nightfall) and continued until Mass. Later, the rules were relaxed with abstinence from solid food beginning at midnight, but liquids required just three hours.

Certain of the monastic orders began prayers at 3 in the morning (tierce or terce), with Mass at 7 am, which posed a problem for the faster. Beer, a hearty liquid, brewed from grains, met the threshold of a liquid, with the nutrition of a solid. The perfect breakfast food - a lesson perfected by generations of college students.

I'd quibble with the definition the consecrated wine is the blood of Christ, present Catholic teaching notwithstanding. Technically, the appearance of bread and the appearance of wine are each both the body and blood. It was that distinction which permitted the distribution of the Eucharist to the faithful under just one appearance for a thousand years...

One poster expressed concerns about philosophical arguments on eGullet, this goes way beyond philosophy. If this thread continues, it will encounter the Council of Chalcedon, Luther, and the monophysites...

[Gavin Jones]

Buckfast tonic wine is still (I think) manufactured by the monks of buckfast abbey in Devon (UK). It is marketed by a separate company.

It is a very popular drink in Scotland - and has been accused of contributing to high levels of alcoholism.

[Gavin Jones]

And am I correct that Chartreuse contains some element of wormwood?

I believe most commercially available varieties of absinthe have the active ingredient (thujone ?) removed - though still available in Spain.

And this leads to aspects of food/drink associated with heightening 'religious' experience - of which of course abstinence is one means.

[Rail Paul]

Mysticism, especially in its enhanced forms, has been an element of Muslim, Jewish, Christian and many other religious expressions for more than a millenium.

Benedictines and their brandies, Carthusians and their Chartreuse, and the many working abbey beers of Germany, Austria, Belgium, and the alpines...

[Simon Majumdar]

From my (admitedly brief)  time in holy orders, you are missing the most scred drink of all

Pink Gin

It has given me many moments of spiritual lucidity

S

[Lord Michael Lewis]

Benidictine, the favourite of monkish brethren is popular for both its unctuous sweetness and excellent lubricant qualities.

'Better than Man-Glide' according to Cardinal Ratzinger.