Brewer participates in Big Toast event

The Spencer Trappist Brewery is taking part in the fourth annual Big Toast fundraiser to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ocean State’s youth-mentoring programs.
The fundraiser will be held Sept. 26 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport.
The fundraiser offers unlimited samples of craft beer, wine, spirits and food from more than 40 of Southern New England’s bars, restaurants, wineries and distilleries. Honorary Chairman David Dadekian of EatDrinkRI and Branden J. Lewis, food and beverage chairman and MBA chef instructor at Johnson & Wales University’s College of Culinary Arts, will be on hand.
Based in Spencer, Mass., the brewery makes the first and only certified Trappist beer brewed in the United States.
“A decade ago, the Spencer Monks underwent a strategic planning session with their advisory council to balance their income and expenses,” said Mary Jeffcoat, public relations manager for the Trappist Monk Brewery. “The Spencer Trappist Monks were already making and selling an assortment of jellies and liturgical vestments. Many different ideas were thrown around to increase revenue, but brewing beer ‘came to the top.’”
After traveling to Belgium to taste beers made by Belgium monks, the group returned with a recipe that evolved from a special “Potters Ale” they tried there, Jeffcoat said.
“This is what gives the distinct beer its crisp and light flavor,” said Jeffcoat.
After a decade of work, in January of 2014, the Spencer Trappist Monk’s recipe was approved by the International Trappist Association and is now considered “authentic,” she said.
The association was formed in 1997 by eight Trappist breweries in Europe. The nonprofit protects the Trappist name by establishing rules for monasteries seeking certification and the privilege of using the “Authentic Trappist Product” logo.

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