Brewery Founded by Priests Has Been Operating for 130 Years in a Church Basement in MG, Using the Same Machinery for Over a Century

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho

Published on 13/10/2025 at 07:51

Luiza Sudré / g1 TV Integração

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In Juiz de Fora (MG), Redeemer monks have been producing artisanal beer since 1894. The Hofbauer Brewery, located in the basement of the Church of Glory, combines devotion, history, and European culture in each bottle produced

In the basement of the Church of Our Lady of Glory, in Juiz de Fora (MG), there is a craft brewery run by religious. Named Hofbauer, it is one of the few convents producing beer still active in Brazil and keeps alive a European tradition that merges faith and fermentation.

Century-Old Tradition of Devotion and Flavor

The brewery’s history began in 1894 when the Dutch missionaries Father Mathias Tulkens and Father Francisco Lohmeyer decided to establish a small factory.

The idea was to combine religious devotion with the brewing culture that was already part of the daily routine in European convents.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Faith and Beer: A Possible Combination

Many wonder if religious can drink. The answer is yes. Alcohol consumption has never been prohibited by the Church.

In past centuries, beer was considered food and was part of the daily meals of the monks. Producing and sharing the drink was also a means of spiritual sustenance and gratitude.

Therefore, the production of Hofbauer keeps this heritage alive. Besides being a craft, it represents a link between monastic past and the communal present of the Church of Glory.

Homage to Saint Clement Hofbauer

The name of the brewery is a tribute to Saint Clement Maria Hofbauer, an Austrian priest from the 18th century. Before this, the place was known simply as “Beer from the Glory Convent.”

The saint became famous for renewing religious life in Vienna, arguing that convents should be self-sufficient.

Canonized in 1909, he became the patron saint of the city and one of the most respected names of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.

“We offer beers that captivate not only with flavor but with cultural heritage. It is a source of pride to keep this artisanal tradition alive,” highlights Brother Taylor.

Artisanal Beer Production That Crosses Generations

The production of Hofbauer has been preserved over generations but had to be interrupted at times due to a lack of religious with technical knowledge.

In 2009, Father Flávio Leonardo Santos Campos restored the old machines and resumed the artisanal manufacturing process. Later, Father Jonas Pacheco Machado took over the continuity.

Since 2024, Brother Taylor Bertoli has been coordinating the work, with the support of four collaborators and specialized technical oversight.

Each batch produces about 350 liters, four times a year. The complete process takes 40 days, respecting the natural time of fermentation and maturation.

Seven Styles and One Purpose

Currently, Hofbauer produces seven types of artisanal beer: Pilsen, Belgian Blond Ale, Belgian Pale Ale, Belgian Dubbel, Wassbier, Session IPA, and Russian Imperial Stout. Each bottle costs starting from R$ 25.

Sales began timidly, but according to Taylor, public interest grew rapidly. “In the past two years, we gained ground, and this year we participated for the first time in festivals and contests in Juiz de Fora,” he says.

All revenue generated is directed to social projects supported by the Church.

Hofbauer: From Mystery to Tourist Attraction

For a long time, the basement of the Church of Glory remained shrouded in mystery. In 2024, the space was opened to the public, revealing to visitors a tradition that blends history, religion, and brewing culture.

“We opened to show the importance of this heritage to Juiz de Fora,” states the master brewer.

The initiative caught the attention of the municipal Tourism Department, which began to include Hofbauer in the “Walking Through History” program. The tour offers free visits to historic points in the city.

Today, the basement of the Church is one of the most sought-after destinations by visitors, who leave enchanted by the aroma of malt, the old Dutch machines, and the spirit of fraternity that surrounds each bottle produced by the religious.

With information from TNH1.

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Brewery Founded by Priests Has Been Operating for 130 Years in a Church Basement in MG, Using the Same Machinery for Over a Century

In Juiz de Fora (MG), Redeemer monks have been producing artisanal beer since 1894. The Hofbauer Brewery, located in the basement of the Church of Glory, combines devotion, history, and European culture in each bottle produced

Century-Old Tradition of Devotion and Flavor

Faith and Beer: A Possible Combination

Homage to Saint Clement Hofbauer

Artisanal Beer Production That Crosses Generations

Seven Styles and One Purpose

Hofbauer: From Mystery to Tourist Attraction

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Brewery Founded by Priests Has Been Operating for 130 Years in a Church Basement in MG, Using the Same Machinery for Over a Century

In Juiz de Fora (MG), Redeemer monks have been producing artisanal beer since 1894. The Hofbauer Brewery, located in the basement of the Church of Glory, combines devotion, history, and European culture in each bottle produced

Century-Old Tradition of Devotion and Flavor

Faith and Beer: A Possible Combination

Homage to Saint Clement Hofbauer

Artisanal Beer Production That Crosses Generations

Seven Styles and One Purpose

Hofbauer: From Mystery to Tourist Attraction

Scientists enter a narrow, flooded cave 500 meters deep and find giant dinosaur footprints on the ceiling measuring up to 1.25 meters, preserved in such a rare way that a new type of trace had to be created.

In Botswana, a salt flat of up to 16,000 km² that was once an African megalake spends months as an absolute white desert, but during the rainy season it transforms into a shallow sea that reappears from nowhere and can be seen from space in the middle of southern Africa.

A giant half-ton ring fell in Kenya from space, and more than a year later, scientists still do not know where it came from.

After two years of internal discussions, Paraguay has finally regulated the law that opens the country to foreign technology and service companies with tax incentives that promise to create thousands of jobs and change the economy.

Map reveals how the Earth may look in 250 million years: continents will reunite in the Last Pangaea, 92% of the planet could become uninhabitable for mammals, and Spain appears among the rare possible exceptions.

About 6,000 residents live concentrated along a single street nearly 9 km long in the interior of Poland, with houses forming a continuous row and narrow agricultural strips emerging behind them, creating one of the most unusual rural patterns in Europe.

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