The Lost Art of Catholic Drinking

Inside Catholic ^ | November 26, 2009 | Sean P. Dailey

[NYer]

There is Protestant drinking and there is Catholic drinking, and the difference is more than mere quantity. I have no scientific data to back up my claims, nor have I completed any formal studies. But I have done a good bit of, shall we say, informal study, which for a hypothesis like this is probably the best kind.

To begin with, what is Catholic drinking? It's hard to pin down, but here's a historical example. St. Arnold (580-640), also known as St. Arnulf of Metz, was a seventh-century bishop of Metz, in what later became France. Much beloved by the people, St. Arnold is said to have preached against drinking water, which in those days could be extremely dangerous owing to unsanitary sewage systems -- or no sewage system at all. At the same time, he frequently touted the benefits of beer and is credited with having once said, "From man's sweat and God's love, beer came into the world."

 

Wise words, and St. Arnold's flock took them to heart. After his death, the good bishop was buried at a monastery near Remiremont, France, where he had retired. However, his flock missed him and wanted him back, so in 641, having gotten approval to exhume St. Arnold's remains, they carried him in procession back to Metz for reburial in the Basilica of the Holy Apostles. Along the way, it being a hot day, they got thirsty and stopped at an inn for some beer. Unfortunately, the inn had just enough left for a single mug; the processionals would have to share. As the tale goes, the mug did not run dry until all the people had drunk their fill.

 

Now, I'm not saying that Catholic drinking involves miracles, or that a miracle should occur every time people get together to imbibe. But good beer -- and good wine for that matter -- is a small miracle in itself, being a gift from God to His creatures, whom He loves. And as G. K. Chesterton wrote in Orthodoxy, "We should thank God for beer and burgundy by not drinking too much of them." In other words, we show our gratitude to God for wine and beer by enjoying these things, in good cheer and warm company, but not enjoying them to excess.

 

Just what constitutes excess is for each person to judge for himself. However, we now approach the main difference between Catholic drinking and Protestant drinking. Protestant drinking tends to occur at one extreme or another: either way too much or none at all, with each being a reaction to the other. Some people, rightly fed up with the smug self-righteousness of teetotalers, drink to excess. And teetotalers, rightly appalled at the habits of habitual drunkards, practice strict abstinence. It seems to occur to neither side that their reaction is just that: a reaction, and not a solution. If they considered it a bit, they might see a third way that involves neither drunkenness nor abstinence, yet is consistent with healthy, honest, humane Christian living.

 

Here we encounter Catholic drinking. Catholic drinking is that third way, the way to engage in an ancient activity enjoyed by everyone from peasants to emperors to Jesus Himself. And again, it is not just about quantity. In fact, I think the chief element is conviviality. When friends get together for a drink, it may be to celebrate, or it may be to mourn. But it should always be to enjoy one another's company. (Yes, there is a time and place for a solitary beer, but that is the exception.)

 

For example: The lectures at the annual Chesterton conference are themselves no more important than the attendees later discussing those same lectures over beer and wine (we tend to adhere to Hilaire Belloc's rule of thumb, which is to avoid alcoholic beverages developed after the Reformation). These gatherings occur between talks, during talks -- indeed, long into the night -- and we typically fall into bed pleasantly stewed. I cannot imagine a Chesterton conference without this. And yet I also know how detrimental it would be if we all stumbled back to our rooms roaring drunk.

 

Avoid each extreme -- that's how you drink like a Catholic. This is the art of Catholic drinking. There are plenty of our brethren who consider drinking somehow immoral, and there are plenty of others who think drinking must end with great intoxication. But the balanced approach -- the Catholic approach -- means having a good time, a good laugh, sometime a good cry, but always with joy and gratitude for God's generosity in giving us such wonders as beer and burgundy. Remember that, and the lost art of Catholic drinking may not remain lost.

[NYer]

---

Sean P. Dailey is the editor-in-chief of Gilbert Magazine and blogmeister of The Blue Boar.

[NYer]

Westvleteren "Trappist" Beer is ranked #1

The Westvleteren Brewery (Brouwerij Westvleteren) is a Belgian brewery founded in 1838 inside the Trappist Abbey of Saint Sixtus of Westvleteren in the Belgian municipality of Westvleteren, not far from the hops-producing town of Poperinge and the medieval city of Ypres. The brewery and its beers are usually referred to as Westvleteren. The brewery's three beers have acquired an international reputation for taste and quality, as well as the limited availability of the beers which are not brewed to normal commercial demands.

Read More

[knarf]

All I’ve evr heard is .. if there are four Catholics together, there’s usually a fifth.

[knarf]

All I’ve evr heard is .. if there are four Catholics together, there’s usually a fifth.

[Steelfish]

“Hilaire Belloc’s rule of thumb, which is to avoid alcoholic beverages developed after the Reformation”

I can live with this imperative.

[livius]

LOL! I don’t like beer, except when I’m in Spain, where the beer is very good (the Spanish Celts were famous for their beer way back at the time of the Roman invasions). The companies are all German now, but the recipes are still the Spanish recipes.

Living in the US, I note that whiskies, particularly Scotch, flow freely at Catholic events. One shouldn’t get drunk, but just get free enough to release the great Catholic language gene, something that is particularly prominent among Irish Americans and also, I have noticed, among the few English Catholics I have encountered.

[annalex]

Good article.

God often gives me cheap Chianti.

[Desdemona]

As a Catholic in a very Catholic city where every Catholic Church basement or hall has a bar complete with tappers that say “Budweiser”, “Bud Light”, “Michelob” and now “Bud Select” I’ve always wondered what the big deal about drinking is. What’s presented in this article is the way things were in the parish where I grew up and, frankly, still is the way it is. I guess it’s a cultural thing.

[fkabuckeyesrule]

Very interesting article. Thanks for posting.

[Spartan79]

Hilaire spoke of drinking in a number of his poems. Here is a snippet of The Pelagian Drinking Song::

Now the faith is old and the Devil bold
Exceedingly bold indeed.
And the masses of doubt that are floating about
Would smother a mortal creed.
But we that sit in a sturdy youth
And still can drink strong ale
Let us put it away to infallible truth
That always shall prevail.

And thank the Lord
For the temporal sword
And howling heretics too.
And all good things
Our Christendom brings
But especially barley brew!
With my row-ti-tow
Ti-oodly-ow
Especially barley brew!

Of course, one of his most frequently quoted is The Catholic Sun:

Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine,
There’s always laughter and good red wine.
At least I’ve always found it so.
Benedicamus Domino!

Hilaire Belloc

[John W]

It would now be 100% politically incorrect, but, we used to say we were quadruply blessed-the one true church, allowed to drink, dance and smoke.

[Desdemona]

Living in the US, I note that whiskies, particularly Scotch, flow freely at Catholic events.

We have a good family friend, faithful Irish Catholic and older man, who keeps a stocked bar and the last time we were at their house, we counted 27 different whiskies ranging from Bourbon to Irish whiskey (ahh, Jameson). And talk about tolerance - I've never seen the man drunk, but he always has a couple fingers in a glass at social events.

[JoeMac]

Actually its “What happens when four Irishmen get together?” answer: “A fifth shows up’’.

[Steelfish]

Very nice- thanks!

[livius]

Curiously enough, when the left took over parishes, one of the first things they stamped out was drinking at parish events. I remember one parish that I lived in where the Holy Name Society was told they could no longer sell acohol or raffle baskets of “beverages” at parish events...by some limp-wristed young leftist twit wearing a Guatemalan stole. The reaction was severe, but he won. Many of them actually ended up drifting away from the Church because it had suddenly been taken over by the Puritan left.

[montomike]

Is Jamesons a nice Catholic drink?

I’ve loved the stuff since I was an altar boy.

[perez24]

I don’t drink, but I always say that, at the wedding feast at Cana, Jesus didn’t turn the water into Coca Cola...and he could have if he wanted to.

[Desdemona]

Oh my. That's a real shame. Like I said, we drink here. A lot. The lefties at the head of the class, too. But, then this city was founded by Creoles that drank whisky on Sunday and was overrun by Bavarians who founded breweries in Soulard because the natural caves are perfect for aging beer. Well, lager. American lager to be precise. And quite a bit is consumed on a regular basis.

[Spartan79]

There is a whole book written about Catholics and wine, whiskey & song: http://www.amazon.com/Catholics-Guide-Wine-Whiskey-Song/dp/082452411X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259283857&sr=8-1

The book has some great recipes, weaved in among chapters relating the Catholic connection to a great many famous European wines, ales, and other libations. I bought it for my wife on her conversion. (Yes. I'm a cradle Catholic. My wife is a recent convert: now a super-Catholic. I'm living in fear these days that she's soon going to be waking me in the middle of the night for matins.)

[MIchaelTArchangel]

Not really true. If there are four Irish-twits named Kennedy who claim to be Catholic there will usually be many fifths--so many that Teddy was unable to remember if he his nephews had brought a woman back to his West Palm Beach palace on Good Friday!