On this day in 1978, the 264th Pope was installed, Pope John Paul II. Pope John Paul II was quoted saying, “We need saints that love the Eucharist, that are not afraid or embarrassed to eat a pizza or drink a beer with their friends.” Meaning that we need casual every day saints as well as deeply committed ones. We need beer-drinking saints! Before a trip to St. Louis, Schlafly’s Tap Room created a beer specifically for the Pope’s visit, “Holy Smoke Papal Porter.”

While popes and Catholics, in general, are known to enjoy a libation or two every once in a while, few enjoyed beer as much as Pope Benedict XVI. To celebrate Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Germany in 2005, Weideneder Brewery created Papal Bier.