Black Abbey Brewing Company

A brewery hosted in an abbey under the canopy of Luther; this was what Black Abbey Brewing Company, located in Nashville, Tennessee, has sought to emulate since its founding in 2008. Brewing Belgian-style ales based on over 600 years of brewing tradition, Black Abbey makes beers that they like to think Martin Luther himself would be proud of. The connection between Martin Luther and beer was closer than most think. Martin Luther, trapped in a fierce thunderstorm in 1505 in Stotterheim, Germany, declared, “St. Anne, help me! I will become a monk!” True to his word, Luther became a monk, and after a few years moved to Wittenberg’s monastery, The Black Cloister. It was in The Black Cloister that Luther wrote his 95 Theses, which he nailed to the Castle Church doors on October 31st, 1517, setting off the Protestant Reformation. After years on the run, Luther returned to The Black Cloister in 1525 and married Katherine von Bora, a former nun who had earned her brewing license before leaving her convent. As a wedding gift, Katherine and Martin received The Black Cloister, which they made their personal residence, “Lutherhaus.” Katherine made what became known as the best beer in Wittenberg. Katherine crafted ales that today we would call Belgian-style, utilizing local ingredients and traditional techniques. It is this tradition that Black Abbey Brewing emulates to this day.