Trappist beer is brewed by Trappist monks. There are eight Trappist monasteries--six in Belgium, one in the Netherlands, and one in Austria.
Monastery brewhouses, from different religious orders, have been across Europe since the Middle Ages. The monastery of La Trappe in Soligny had its own brewery in 1685. Breweries were later added in monasteries of other countries as the trappist order spread from France into the rest of Europe. The Trappists, like many other religious people, first brewed beer to feed the community. Now, Trappist breweries also brew beer to pay for their works and for good causes. Many of the Trappist monasteries and breweries were destroyed during the French Revolution and the World Wars.