The Trappist abbey in Westmalle brewed a new beer in 1934, calling it "superbier". It was a strong blonde ale and was very likely based on a blonde beer the monks had been brewing sporadically since 1931. In 1956, the recipe was modified and it then took on the name Tripel. It is today considered the first beer to use that name.
Tripel indicates a relative strength in a range of beers. So, the trappist beers were divided into three: enkel, dubbel and tripel (basic, double and triple). Considering the importance of the "Holy Trinity" in the church, it is unlikely that the choice of three types of beers was accidental.
It is likely that one of the reasons the tripel was born was the Vandevelde Act of 1919. This Belgian law, which was not repealed until 1983, forbade the sale or service of strong drink, particularly, Jenever. As neither beer or wine were affected by this law, it was a commercially opportune time to introduce stronger beers. |
