The monastery at Saint Joseph's Abbey, which houses 63 monks, is on the same grounds as the brand new Spencer Brewery, which is over 36,000 s/f and is capable of brewing up to 40,000 barrels a year. ABC member C. E. Floyd Company, Inc. recently managed both the building construction and the process equipment installation for a brand new brewery at 167 North Spencer Rd.
To give you some kind of comparison to how much beer that really is, just last year, New Hampshire's leading craft brewery Smuttynose Brewing Company brewed 42,000 barrels of beer. All profits from the Spencer Brewing Company venture will be used to cover the living expenses of the monks and the maintenance of monastery buildings and grounds. Spencer Brewery is the first and only Trappist beer made in the U.S.
So many unique elements went in to building the brewery. The interior reflects the simplicity of the monastic life at the abbey in the understated but timeless design of the offices and lobby space, while using high quality and long lasting materials. C.E. Floyd also added a climate controlled re-fermentation room with a temperature tolerance of +/-2 degrees, a beer laboratory, tasting room, and small bar.
"To have the opportunity to be a part of an historic project that is unprecedented in the U.S. was incredibly exciting for C.E. Floyd," said C.E. Floyd vice president Chris Floyd. "Our client was seeking a product that reflects their lifestyle—both excellent and simplistic—and we are very proud of the results."
Floyd also had this to say regarding the experience working on the project; "It is rewarding to see the vision of our client become a reality through the product launch, especially knowing how hard the entire project team worked to deliver this unprecedented project. We are very appreciative of the opportunity to have constructed this brewery and wish St. Joseph's Abbey the very best."
The project took just over a year to complete.
For more information on Trappist Breweries, visit http://www.spencerbrewery.com/