The Trappist beer world is set to shrink as the Abbey Maria Toevlucht in Zundert, Netherlands, announces its closure due to aging members and a lack of new monks. This decision not only marks the end of monastic life at the site but also impacts its acclaimed Zundert beer, which will lose its official "Trappist" designation.
Founded in 1899 by French Trappists fleeing anti-clerical policies, the abbey had once housed over 70 monks. Today, only six remain. After prolonged internal discussions and the departure of three monks in the past year, the remaining community concluded that a sustainable monastic life is no longer feasible. They have requested formal closure of the monastery by the General Chapter of the Trappist Order, expected to be finalized in September.
Zundert beer has been brewed since 2013 at the abbey's De Kievit brewery and is one of only two certified Trappist beers in the Netherlands. The International Trappist Association stipulates that such beers must be brewed within an active abbey under monastic supervision. With the closure, the beer may still be brewed, but it can no longer carry the Authentic Trappist label.
This development reduces the global number of Trappist beers from nine to eight. It follows the closures of the Spencer Brewery, the first and only Trappist brewery in the U.S., which ceased operations in 2022 (inside.beer, 18.5.2022), and Austria's Engelszell Abbey at the end of 2024 (inside.beer, 13.5.2023), both of which led to the discontinuation of their Authentic Trappist beers.
