A Cistercian abbey in the United Kingdom has been granted permission to build a brewery which could make it just the 12th Trappist brewery in the world (if accredited by the Trappist Association)…and as we recently explained that’s a very big deal.

According to The Drinks Business the monks of Mount St Bernard Abbey in Leicestershire. England, have received approval from the local council, to replace the monastery’s dairy farm (which is no longer in operation), with a brewery, leading to rabid speculation that a Trappist brewery might possibly open in Great Britain.

Trappist Monks live a cloistered and contemplative life dedicated to study and prayer. And they turn to a variety of trades (like brewing their famous beers) to afford their monasteries some degree of financial support and sustainability.

Today, there are eleven active Trappist breweries — six in Belgium, two in the Netherlands, and one each in Austria, Italy and the United States.

But as there are currently no authentic Trappist breweries operating in the UK, word that the monks at the Mount St Bernard Abbey are thinking about getting into the brewing biz, is all the buzz across the pond.

For more on what these monks are breing and doing check out:   WHAT THE HELL IS A TRAPPIST ALE?