True or False: Monks sometimes made beer and copied books.

The story behind the answer

Medieval monasteries were centers of practical work and learning. Following the Rule of St. Benedict, communities aimed for self-sufficiency and hospitality, so they brewed ale as a safe, nourishing drink for monks, travelers, and the poor. They made different strengths, from everyday “small beer” to richer brews for feast days, and their disciplined record-keeping advanced brewing hygiene and storage—traditions echoed today in famed monastic beers like Trappist ales.

Monasteries also housed scriptoria where scribes painstakingly copied texts on parchment, preserving the Bible, liturgical works, and many classical writings. They developed clear scripts such as Carolingian minuscule and produced illuminated manuscripts with vivid pigments and gold leaf. These efforts kept learning alive through turbulent centuries and shaped Europe’s literary and scholarly heritage.