Belgian monks brew beer after 200 years

These Belgian priests are brewing beer

(SOUNDBITE) (English) GRIMBERGEN ABBEY ABBOTT, ERIK DE SUTTER, STANDING IN NEWLY-BUILT BREWERY AND SAYING:

"....Bless this microbrewery in the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit. Amen."

Grimbergen Abbey has begun brewing again after 200 years

The abbey's beer-making tradition began in the 12th century

but ceased when French troops burned it down (twice) in 1798

Location: Grimbergen Abbey, Belgium

Local firm Maes paid the monks to use the Grimbergen name

and phoenix emblem on its "abbey beer" in 1958

But these are the first to be brewed within the abbey walls for two centuries

(SOUNDBITE) (English) GRIMBERGEN ABBEY SUB-PRIOR, KAREL STAUTEMAS, SAYING:

"The Grimbergen (beer) you know already - they are on the market - we are still the guardians of the recipe and now, what we want to do here in the microbrewery, it's the same spirit (to) go forward."