RIDE TO BOOZ

Story and Photos by ITN European Reporter Herve’ Rebollo

Salut à vous riders from around the world,

Back on the road after my accident on July 3rd when, on the highway, a sweet elderly lady decided it was time for me to meet the asphalt. Lucky me, I was riding my (brand new) scooter and not my beloved Road Glide. Thank god. Sorry for this strange introduction my friend, but it gives me the chance to remind you the importance of wearing a good motorcycle gear. Please guys, even the summer, wear you gloves, jacket, helmet and a proper pair of boots!

The idea in this mid-September was to take a short ride (500km/310 miles) in one day to, as usual, have a good time, explore France/Europe and enrich my general knowledge. So, let’s go to meet the Belgian monk brewers!!

I am not a member of Bozzefighter MC, although it is always a pleasure to meet their members. If I’m not mistaken, we have a Boozefighters chapter in France for about 20 years. It was even the first European Boozefighter chapter (number 47). I first met the Boozefighters at Daytona Bike week 2010 when I was still a Hogger. The day I spent with them between the Cabbage Patch bar and the Tropical tattoo is one of my best biker memories.

So, let’s hit the road, go East, back to Belgium, to the Abbey of SCOURMONT.

Scourmont Abbey (Abbaye Notre-Dame de Scourmont) is a Trappist monastery on the Scourmont plateau, in the village of Forges which is part of Chimay in the province of Hainaut in Belgium. And the abbey is famous for its spiritual life and for running the Chimay Brewery, one of the few producers of Trappist beer.

On my way to the abbey, after my first two hours of riding, it was 8 in the morning and I needed a coffee. Another chance to discover a new local bar and chat with people near the Belgian border. And, what a surprise, the village priest was having his coffee. I couldn’t believe my eyes: I was on my way to visit a religious site and just beforehand, in a bar, I meet a clergyman to talk about motorcycle. If I were a believer I might think it was some kind of sign … very amusing moment.

This bar is located a the step of the village’s castle. Magnificient setting and … nobody cares (we have so many castles in France …).

Back on the road, discovering the iconic local architecture. In this region of northern France, and far away in Belgium, brick is the traditional material of almost all buildings/constructions. It’s historic and that won’t change anytime soon. You can admire these amazing houses, both old (and even new).

You may remember that the borders between EU members countries no longer exist. But you can still see the old customs offices. I crossed the former border at the entrance of the small village of COURQUAIN. The old Belgian customs office is still there (the only ugly building – very 1970s – in this charming little place).

Right in front of, its French abandoned equivalence.

At that moment, I was not very far from the Abbey, which is completely “lost” in the midst of the very beautiful Wallon countryside. The abbey can only be reached by small roads through the forests and fields (I noticed that, considering the various houses and farms, I came to the conviction that this region is wealthy).

The abbey in located in a haven of peace in a green setting.

The main path runs under magnificent trees …

And, your arrival at the main entrance is greeted by an atmosphere of serene peace. Life in the abbey is characterized by prayer, reading and manual work, the three basic elements of Trappist life.

People come from all over Europe to visit the site, but (and this is very pleasant), the attendance remains very reasonable. The monks set the rules established by Saint Benoît, who highlighted the importance of hospitality. In keeping with this, they welcome visitors who wish to share a moment of prayer and silence. You can stay on-site and share in their day-to-day lives.

And of course, visitors also come by motorcycle …

In 1844, Jean-Baptiste Jourdain, the priest of Virelles, suggested that the wild plateau of Scourmont was a suitable place for a monastery. However, all previous attempts to cultivate the barren plateau had failed. Jourdain obtained support for the proposed foundation from Prince Joseph II de Chimay. Six years later, on 25 July 1850, a small group of monks from Westvleteren settled on Scourmont and founded a priory. The monks founded a school and model farm to train orphans and abandoned children, and to rehabilitate delinquents

A lot of hard work was required to transform the barren soil of Scourmont into fertile farmland. A farm was created around the monastery, as well as a cheese dairy and a brewery.

The present church of the abbey dates from 1950.

The famous beers and cheeses of Scourmont Abbey are marketed under the trade name of Chimay, after the village where the abbey is located. When in Chimay village ,you see reference to this beer and to the art of brewing beer almost everywhere.

About 30 brothers live in Scourmont Abbey today, and they still live according to the rule of saint Benedict, “ora et labora” (prayer and work). The community organizes its days around the seven daily offices (the first at 4.30 a.m.) and work.

Although the brothers no longer physically involve themselves in beer production, they still supervise the Chimay’s beer brewing and cheese production inside the abbey. It is said that about 200 employees work at the brewery and the cheese factory. This means that the monks are an important employer in this region.

The bewery of the Abbey is not open to the public. All visits focus on the church, the cemetery and the (beautiful) gardens which are open to visitors.

It began 1862 when the monks built a brewery with the bricks from a closed agricultural school. They then brewery modernized in the 1990s. Chimay’s nationally and internationally-renowned beers carry the “Authentic Trappist Product” logo. Only 12 breweries across the world can put this on their labels. The logo certifies the following:

Monks make this beer or they strictly control its production
The production takes place within the abbey
The abbey receives the benefits, and any surplus goes to charity

Today, the abbey brews five different beers, classified here by release date:

Red Chimay, a dark beer with a strength of seven percent (vol.). They all it “Première,” because it was the first beer brewed at the abbey, according to records.
Golden Chimay, a blond beer with a strength of 4.8 percent (vol.). For a long time, it was reserved for monks and visiting guests at the Retreat House. It was finally broadly distributed in 2013.
Blue Chimay, a seven percent (vol.) dark beer initially brewed for the Christmas season between 1948 and 1954, before its success made it permanent. Rated 100/100 on the Ratebeer website!
Chimay Triple, a blond beer grading an eight percent (vol.) called “Blanche” because of its label, then “Cinq Cents“(Five Hundred) in 1986, because it celebrated the 500th anniversary of the principality of Chimay. Today, it is more simply called “Triple.”
Chimay 150, a blond beer with a strength of 10 percent (vol.). Brewed for the first time in 2012, its name “150” reminds us that it was brewed for the 150th anniversary of the Scourmont Abbey brewery. It’s the newest one!

That day, the monk welcoming visitors at the entrance office was Brother Dominique. We had a small chat and after making sure my motorcycle had already been blessed (see: LONG DISTANCE RIDE: LE DÉFI 999 (THE 999 CHALLENGE) – Iron Trader News), …

With great kindness, he agreed to pose for a photo with my motorcycle. I was so happy; it was a pleasant moment in the serenity of that peaceful place.

It was time to leave and take a little walk around the surroundings.

The references to the Chimay beer are absolutely everywhere.

Many pleasant local bars give you the chance to try the Trappist beers.

I was stuck, with no choice, I had to sacrifice myself to the tradition that every tourist must drink a Chimay beer in the village of Chimay. I couldn’t resist the final argument: drinking a beer would help the local economy. In the end, it was a civic act on my part. By the end, I was proud to have my Chimay beer. Yes, I’m a good citizen!

It is time to return home and cross the old border for the second time on the Saturday that is increasingly less sunny. The rain is approaching.

Completely by chance, on the way back, not far from Paris, I saw an old abandoned brewery. Strange, for years I had been taking this road without paying any attention to this old building.

Just before getting home, I stopped by my Harley Davidson dealership (BORIE, since 1946 : Harley-Davidson Borie à Villiers sur Marne Harley-Davidson neuves) to say hi to the guys…