Patron Saint of Beer and Brewers, and the Blessing of Beer

The best-known patron saint of beer and brewers is St. Arnold (Arnulf) of Soissons, an eleventh-century Benedictine abbot and bishop in Flanders who, according to tradition, saved his people from a plague by urging them to drink beer instead of contaminated water. St. Arnulf of Metz, St. Brigid of Kildare, St. Augustine of Hippo and others are also honored by brewers, and monks have brewed beer for more than a thousand years. The Church even had an official blessing for beer in the Roman Ritual. Below are the patron saints of beer, the story of monastic brewing, the blessing of beer in Latin and English, and what the Church teaches about drinking in moderation.

Patron saints of beer and brewers

Saint	Why	Feast
St. Arnold (Arnulf) of Soissons	Abbot who told people to drink beer during a plague; patron of Belgian brewers	August 14
St. Arnulf of Metz	Bishop whose relics’ procession was refreshed by a mug of beer that never ran dry	July 18
St. Brigid of Kildare	Turned water into beer for visitors and the sick, according to her early lives	February 1
St. Augustine of Hippo	Patron of brewers, remembering the worldly life of his youth	August 28
St. Wenceslaus	Duke of Bohemia, patron of Czech brewers and hop growers	September 28
St. Nicholas	Patron of brewers in parts of Europe	December 6

St. Arnold of Soissons (about 1040–1087) was a soldier who became a Benedictine monk, an abbot, and briefly bishop of Soissons before founding an abbey at Oudenburg in Flanders. In a time of plague, he encouraged people to drink beer, which was boiled in brewing and safer than the water, and the sickness passed. He is shown with a mash rake, and Belgian brewers honor him every year.
St. Arnulf of Metz (about 582–640) was a bishop and an ancestor of Charlemagne. When his relics were carried back to Metz, the tired and thirsty procession found that one mug of beer was enough for everyone.
St. Brigid, the great abbess of Kildare in Ireland, is said in her early lives to have changed water into beer for the sick and for travelers. See the St. Brigid prayer.
St. Augustine is honored by brewers in memory of his youthful pleasures before his conversion. See the St. Augustine prayer.

Monks and beer

In the Middle Ages monasteries brewed beer for the monks, for guests and for the poor, and much of what we know about brewing was perfected in their breweries. The Bavarian brewery at Weihenstephan, a former Benedictine abbey, traces its history to 1040. Today a few Trappist abbeys in Belgium, the Netherlands and elsewhere still brew beer under the supervision of the monks, using the proceeds to support the community and works of charity.

The blessing of beer

The Roman Ritual, the Church’s book of blessings, contained a blessing of beer (Benedictio cerevisiae), said by the priest before sprinkling the beer with holy water. The Latin text, from the 1927 edition:

Bene✠dic, Domine, creaturam istam cerevisiae, quam ex adipe frumenti producere dignatus es: ut sit remedium salutare humano generi: et praesta per invocationem nominis tui sancti, ut, quicumque ex ea biberint, sanitatem corporis, et animae tutelam percipiant. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Our translation:

Bless, O Lord, this creature beer, which you have been pleased to bring forth from the richness of grain,
that it may be a healthful remedy for mankind;
and grant, through the invocation of your holy name,
that whoever drinks of it may receive health of body and protection of soul.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

A prayer before a toast

Written for this page:

Lord, thank you for good friends, good food and the work of brewers’ hands.
Bless this gathering, keep us moderate and safe,
and let our joy today give glory to you. Amen.

What the Church teaches about drinking

Beer and wine are good gifts of God, and Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding. But the virtue of temperance asks us to enjoy them with moderation. The Catechism teaches that the virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess, including the abuse of food and alcohol, and that those who endanger others’ safety on the road through drunkenness incur grave guilt (CCC 2290). Drunkenness is a sin, and the Church offers help and prayer to all who struggle with addiction.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the patron saint of beer?

St. Arnold (Arnulf) of Soissons, the Belgian abbot and bishop who died in 1087. His feast is August 14.

Who is the patron saint of brewers?

St. Arnold of Soissons, St. Arnulf of Metz and St. Augustine of Hippo are all honored as patrons of brewers.

Is there a Catholic blessing for beer?

Yes. The traditional Roman Ritual has a blessing of beer, given above in Latin with an English translation.

More patron saints

Texts and sources

Rituale Romanum (1927 edition), Benedictio cerevisiae, public domain (archive.org); English translation by biddingprayers.com.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2290.