The monks were not restricted to only brewing the beer, and consumption of it within the monasteries reached astonishing levels. One report from Belgium said that monks were drinking as much as five liters a day. Monastery breweries in Europe also ran their own pubs and enjoyed a tax-free status that came to be resented by the growing merchant class.
僧侶們不只局限在釀造啤酒,而且還在修道院中大量飲用啤酒,消耗量實在驚人。一份來自比利時的報告指出,僧侶們每天喝五升多的啤酒。歐洲修道院的釀酒廠也經營自己的酒吧,并享有免稅的優惠,此項優待引起正在興起的商人階級的不滿。