German Brewster Nun

Sister Doris, a Franciscan, is the brewmistress of Kloster Mallersdorf (Mallersdorf Cloister).

As with a lot of professions, women did most of the brewing when brewing was mostly a home industry. The same thing is true of distilling on a small scale, which fit right in with the women’s work of making medicine for the family as well as cooking food. (Hence the word “stillroom,” which means “distillery room.”)

Here’s the uncloistered tap room and restaurant, if you’re ever in the neighborhood and want to try out the beer. It’s run by laypeople. (Yum, Bavarian food….)