The life of a monk fluctuates between two poles: withdrawing from the world and forming an organized and hard-working community. Nevertheless, supporting the strength of mind, healing men, brightening up everyday life and surviving financially are also essential elements in a monk's life. It is for these reasons that monks (mainly Christian and Buddhist) in the East and in the West have been great inventors of many different beverages.

Some of the most consumed drinks that we know today (coffee, tea, whisky, vodka and Champagne) were invented by eminent monks or hermits, while convents and monasteries produced numerous wines, beers, liquors, elixirs, herbal teas and potions that are renowned across the world.

Just as our pharmacies, cuisine and hedonistic dining owe much to ascetics, we bon-vivants owe a great deal to the monks who live withdrawn from society. Buddhist Bhiksu customs are linked to the discovery of tea, used to help meditation and Yemeni monks discovered coffee while searching for a product with similar benefits.  

The quality and variety of wines produced by monks (and the same goes for beers) is astounding, as is the number of different alcohols they invented. We can also thank monks for the invention of many medicines, herbal teas, potions and elixirs, all of which are often delicious and always endowed with wonderful beneficial effects.