So I read something interesting the other day that I thought I would share. Ever wondered why Belgian beers, many of which were originally, or still are, brewed by priests, monks, and nuns, are so strong? Seems counter intuitive, doesn't t? Especially since most monastic breweries also produce a "patersbier" or "fathers' beer" which is very low alcohol, and which is what the actual monks drink.
Well, this is an interesting example of laws changing the history of the drinking world forever, and not always in the way intended.
In 1919, a socialist lawmaker named Emile Vandervelde encouraged the passing of a law (named after him), which sought to reduce the negative affects of alcohol on the working class. The Vandervelde law outlawed restaurants and bars from serving distilled spirits, and limited retailers to selling a minimum of two liters of distilled spirits to a customer, making it a more expensive investment than buying smaller quantities.
The law did not apply to beer, and thus, brewers started brewing stronger beers, adding candi sugar, more malt, wheat, oats, and other ingredients to raise the gravity (sweetness) of their mash, thus also increasing the alcohol content of the finished product.
The craziest part of this story? The Vandervelde Law wasn't repealed until 1984!
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