A Trappist beer is a beer brewed by or under control of Trappist monks. Of the World's Trappist monasteries, seven produce beer; six in Belgium and one in the Netherlands. These seven breweries are authorized to label their beers with the Authentic Trappist Product logo that indicates a compliance to various rules issued by the International Trappist Association.
The Trappists, like many other religious orders, brewed beer to fund their work, and monastery brewhouses existed all over Europe. Many of them were destroyed during the French Revolution and the World Wars. Among these monastic breweries, the Trappists were certainly the most active brewers. The growing popularity of Trappist beers drew some unscrupulous brewers with no connection to the order to label their beers as "Trappist". After some unsuccessful lawsuits, the order successfully sued one such brewer in 1962 in Ghent, Belgium.
In 1997, eight Trappist abbeys — six from Belgium, one from the Netherlands, and one from Germany — founded the International Trappist Association (ITA) to prevent non-Trappist commercial companies from abusing the Trappist name. This private association created a logo that is assigned to goods (cheese, beer, wine, etc.) that respect precise production criteria. There are currently seven breweries that are allowed to have their products wear the Authentic Trappist Product logo: Bières de Chimay, Orval Brewery, Rochefort Brewery, Westmalle Brewery, Westvleteren Brewery, Achel Brewery, and De Koningshoeven Brewery. (Full article...)