On this day in 1861, the oldest registered sale of Westmalle Trappist Ale occurred.  According to St. Peter’s List, “The first Westmalle beer (officially called Abdij Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van het Heilig Hart van Jezus) was described as light in alcohol and rather sweet. By 1856, the monks had added a second beer: the first strong brown beer. This brown beer is today considered the first double (dubbel, in Dutch). The current Dubbel is derived from a recipe first brewed in 1926.”

Photo References

• http://camasprairiewinery.wordpress.com/2012/07/06/july-2012-beer-of-the-month-westmalle-trappist-ale-dubbel/
• http://www.trappistwestmalle.be/en/page/tripel.aspx
• http://eulogybar.server101.com/beerbible.htm
• http://www.stpeterslist.com/197/the-7-authentic-trappist-monk-beers/