Opened 2005 (2005) | Key people Brad Krauss | |
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Type Belgian-style monastic brewery Location Abiquiú, New Mexico, US Annual production volume 2,900 US beer barrels (3,400 hL) Owned by Monastery of Christ in the Desert | ||
The Abbey Brewing Company is an American brewing company located in Abiquiú, New Mexico. The microbrewery was founded in 2005 as a Benedictine joint venture of Our Lady of Guadalupe monastery in Pecos, New Mexico and the Monastery of Christ in the Desert in Abiquiú. It is the first American monastery brewery founded since before the Prohibition Era. The brewery's motto is "Made with care and prayer".
Contents
By 2010, the Monastery of Christ in the Desert had bought out the interest of Our Lady of Guadalupe monastery and is now the sole operator of Abbey Brewing. Most of the brewing is now done at the Sierra Blanca Brewing Company in Moriarty, New Mexico. An experimental pilot brewery and the taproom are located in Abiquiú. The monastery grows its own hops.
Abbey Brewing uses solar energy in its operations.
Initially, the brewery is focused on producing Belgian style beers.
History
Abbey Brewing produces a number of varieties of beer. Native hops (subspecies neomexicanus), grown at the Monastery of Christ in the Desert, are featured. In spring 2010, native New Mexican hops were planted in an experimental hop yard. This occupies one quarter acre.
The Monastery of Christ in the Desert in Abiquiú, New Mexico hosts the master brewery. Another brewery is maintained per a contract agreement with Rio Grande and Sierra Blancha brewery in Moriarty, New Mexico. Abbey Brewing Company directly controls the total brewing process including the formulae and brewing processes. The company maintains direct control for sourcing both ingredients and packaging. The Abbey Brewing Company owns the brewing equipment on the grounds of the Monastery of Christ in the Desert. At the Moriarity brewery, some of the major brewing equipment is also owned by Abbey Brewing Company. Because of the remote location and relative inaccessibility of the abbey, production there will be limited to nanobrewery scale. Thus, most of the beer will be produced at the contract brewer's location.
Monastery brewery operations completed a new brewery building in March 2011. It utilizes a half-barrel micro-brewing system, specifically designed for expansion to a 3 or 5 barrel brewing system.
Production is limited. Production capacity is rated at 2,900 barrels per year.
The brothers maintain that: "Our focus in all our work is 'to bring everything to perfection for the glory of God' as the Rule of Saint Benedict instructs us."
The product is distributed in nine states
Personnel
The head brewer of the Abbey Brewing Company is Brad Krauss, a native of New Mexico. He holds a degree in chemistry from Rice University and has worked in New Mexico craft beer brewing for two decades, including startup work for Rio Bravo Brewing Company (Albuquerque), Wolf Canyon Brewing (Santa Fe), and Isotopes Brewing Company (Albuquerque). "A 30-year craft brewing veteran," he helped them develop original recipes.
Other personnel include Berkeley Merchant (business manager, who runs administration, marketing and sales) and Brother Christian Leisy (cellarer).
Regular brews
Awards
In 2014, the Abbey Brewing Company won 1 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze medals in the New Mexico State Fair Beer Pro-Am competition. The gold was awarded to their limited specialty brew, Monks' Tripel Reserve.