aerod1
Well-Known Member
My priest (Episcopal) who is also a homebrewer says if you give up beer for Lent it is still okay to drink BMC, seeing as most of us don't consider them to be real beers.
"Doppelbock emerged in the late eighteenth century as a powerful lager variant of the old monastic strong beer, the monks' "liquid bread," which they traditionally brewed for the Lenten season. Living by the strict rules of their order, the monks were regularly required to castigate themselves by periodic bouts of fasting, when next to no solid food was allowed to pass their lips. The longest and most taxing of these periods of culinary abstinence was, of course, Lent, the 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Because the monks believed that liquids not only cleansed the body but also the soul, they would make plenty of liquid instead of solid bread from their grain, and then drink it in copious quantities...the more, the holier. Because the monks were society's role models in those religious times...as did the monks so did the common folk. The secular verson of the sacred strong bier was called a Bockbier.
The first Lenten strong beer was brewed by Paulaner monks at Cloister Neudeck ob der Au in Munich. The Paulaners had arrived in Munich from Italy in 1627. They began brewing beer for their own comsumption shortly thereafter—exactly when is not clear. Depending on which documents one can trust, the year was 1630, 1651 or 1670. The Paulaners felt, however, that such a strong brew with such delightful qualities might be just a bit too much of an indulgence for Lent. So they decided to ask the Holy Father in Rome for a special dispensation so that they could continued to brew it with a clear conscience. The Paulaners dispatched a cask of Lenten beer to Rome for the pope to try and to pass judgment. During its transport across the Alps and along the burning sun of Italy, unfortunately—or fortunately—the cask tossed and turned, and heated for several weeks—a classic condition for causing beer to turn sour and undrinkable. So when the Holy Father tasted the much-praised stuff from Munich, he found it (appropriately) disgusting. His decision: Because the brew was so vile, it was probably beneficial for the souls of the Munich monks to make and drink as much of it as they could. Therefore, he willingly gave the brewing of this new, allegedly rotten, beer style his blessing. Little did he know..."
Man I'm glad I'm Lutheran
During the summer of 1534 Luther and some of his friends twice visited the court at Dessau in order to give spiritual counsel to the sovereign Joachim of Anhalt, who at that time was seriously ill and was experiencing great spiritual struggles. During his second visit to Dessau Luther wrote this personal note to his wife. He tells first of the pending return of Melanchthon, and of the necessity for his own continued stay in Dessau. Then he informs his wife that yesterday he drank something which did not agree with him, and asks his wife to send him his whole wine-cellar and some of her homebrewed beer, because otherwise the beer at Dessau, to which he is not accustomed, would make him totally unable to return home. He concludes by commending his household to God.
To my kind, dear lord, Lady Catherine von Bora, Mrs. Doctor Luther, at Wittenberg
Grace and peace in Christ! Dear Sir Katie! I know of nothing to write to you since Master Philip, together with the others, is coming home. I have to remain here longer for the devout Sovereigns sake. You might wonder how long I shall remain here, or how you might set me free. I think that Master Francis will set me free, just as I freed himbut not so soon.
Yesterday I drank something which did not agree with me, so that I had to sing: If I dont drink well I have to suffer, and [yet] I do like to do it. I said to myself what good wine and beer I have at home, and also [what] a pretty lady or (should I say) lord. You would do well to ship the whole cellar full of my wine and a bottle of your beer to me here, as soon as you are able; otherwise I will not be able to return home because of the new beer.
With this I commend you to God, together with our young ones and all the members of our household. Amen.
July 29, 1534
The Man whom you Love
Martin Luther, Doctor
Sorry I posted this. It won't happen again. It was just a joke.
I was reading this great book on Arthur Guinness and his sprituality, called, "The Search for God and Guinness," and the introductory chapter covered the role of beer in early (pre-prohibition) times, and evidently old Martin Luther, quite like his beer.
We old folks have to find our cushions and pillows in our tankards. Strong beer is the milk of the old.
Martin Luther
He should be ashamed of himself.... Not only for the bud bashing jokes, but for the idea of giving up beer for lent....You're supposed to DRINK BEER for lent...
You give up food not beer.
Monks actually drank beer during Lent as a replacement for the meat they gave up!!!!
Heck there was even a style of beer brewed for lent.
From http://www.germanbeerinstitute.com/Doppelbock.html
Honestly there is no scriptural basis for giving up stuff for lent, it's a Catholic invention of control, and nothing that Jesus ever really spoke about, so I've always thought that folks who give stuff up for lent are sukas.
In my denomination we talk about giving up negative thoughts and ideas rather than earthly objects. (One of the things is um, whining and complaining about stuff.
ill cut way back, but only because lent coincides with pre-thong swimsuit season. :cross:
BierMuncher said:I’ll cut way back, but only because Lent coincides with pre-thong swimsuit season. :cross:
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