Argosy pours first U.S.Trappist Ale tonight!

East Atlanta's Argosy taps the first keg of the Spencer Trappist Ale at 6 p.m.! 

Read below on the strict rules of being a Trappist beer below, too.

Yo!
One of my favorite spots in not only Atlanta, but in the U.S. is doing it big once again. Tonight, starting at 6 p.m., the Argosy is tapping the keg of the Georgia's newest addition to the craft beer world, the Spencer Trappist Ale at 6.5% ABV. It's a crisp, refreshing, fruity Belgian-style golden ale and America's first Trappist beer (specifically at Saint Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts) so this is a historic event. 

There are only ten Trappist beers carrying the prestigious ATP label (Authentic Trappist Product) according to their official website including Achel, Chimay, La Trappe, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle, Westvleteren, Mont des Cats, Engelszell, and, of course, America’s Spencer.

My homies Don, Armando and the rest of the Argosy posse will also be doing a pizza pairing with fig and caramelized onion jam, Chimay Trappist cheese, topped with arugula. 
Oh yeah, and you can keep the glass! See ya there!

*As an added bonus, I wanted to hook you up with what it takes to be a Trappist beer straight from the source...

The strict Trappist Beer breakdown:

Direct from the International Trappist Association, here are the STRICT requirements to be labeled an Authentic Trappist Product:

Trappist beers are one of the most well-known products which Trappist monasteries produce and sell commercially.

A Trappist beer is not the same as an Abbey beer

Of all the beers in the world, only eleven may carry the name “Trappist”:  the beers of Achel, Chimay, La Trappe, Orval, Mont des Cats, Rochefort, Westvleteren, Westmalle, Mont des Cats  Stift Engelszell,Zundert (NL) and Spencer (USA). 

The  "Authentic Trappist Product"  label

Ten trappist beers carry the ATP-label: the beers of Achel, Chimay, La Trappe, Orval, Rochefort, Westvleteren, Westmalle, and the beers of Stift Engelszell (Gregorius and Benno), Zundert (NL) and Spencer (USA).

A “Trappist” has to satisfy a number of strict criteria proper to this logo before it may bear this name: 

1.       The beer must be brewed within the walls of a Trappist monastery, either by the monks themselves or under their supervision.

2.      The brewery must be of secondary importance within the monastery and it should witness to the business practices proper to a monastic way of life

3.      The brewery is not intended to be a profit-making venture.  The income covers the living expenses of the monks and the maintenance of the buildings and grounds.  Whatever remains is donated to charity for social work and to help persons in need.

Trappist breweries strictly comply with all health and safety standards as well as consumer information standards.  Their advertising and communication is marked by honesty, soberness and a modesty proper to the religious setting in which the beer is brewed.

The procedure to receive the ATP-label

Only members of the International Trappist Association are able to submit an application for the right to use the "AUTHENTIC TRAPPIST PRODUCT" logo for a product (for example, a liqueur) or for a category of products (the whole line of liqueurs) produced by the monastery in question.
After the application has been received, the chairman and the members of the Board of Directors of the International Trappist Association will begin an evaluation procedure.
This can take several months.  The procedure includes assembling an extensive dossier, an on-site visit to check the production regulations and the quality demands as set by the ITA, and of course a tasting of the products concerned.

At the end of the procedure, the Board of Directors of the ITA will decide whether or not to grant the right to use the "AUTHENTIC TRAPPIST PRODUCT" logo for the products concerned.

This ATP license is valid for five years.

Holla!
Ale