Phone first for Westvleteren beer
Come September, the monks at Westvleteren will change the way they sell beer at the monastery gate.
They are now going to take orders over the phone. A customer will be then be told when he or she may retrieve the beer.
In the past, a sign at the monastery gates indicated when beer was for sale. Customers could also call the beer phone to find out if anything was available.
The line of cars on the blacktop road leading to the monastery has grown increasingly long - sometimes reaching several miles as customers wait for hours to get beer. This was particuarly true last year when the monks suspended sale by the crate (case) as supplies ran short.
Beer will remain for sale by the bottle and six-pack in the inn across the road from the abbey.
