The monks were not restricted to only brewing the beer, and consumption of it within the monasteries reached astonishing levels. One report from Belgium said that monks were drinking as much as five liters a day. Monastery breweries in Europe also ran their own pubs and enjoyed a tax-free status that came to be resented by the growing merchant class.

僧侣们不只局限在酿造啤酒，而且还在修道院中大量饮用啤酒，消耗量实在惊人。一份来自比利时的报告指出，僧侣们每天喝五升多的啤酒。欧洲修道院的酿酒厂也经营自己的酒吧，并享有免税的优惠，此项优待引起正在兴起的商人阶级的不满。