From sacramental wine regulations to Vatican duty-free shops and Trappist monasteries, the Catholic Church has shaped the alcohol industry in ways most drinkers never consider. The story spans canon law, papal certification of wine producers, and brands that wear the monastic habit without living it.
Almost everyone agrees that the tradition of consuming green-tinted beer on St. Patrick’s Day is not an Irish tradition; however, very few know the true story of the origin of this custom, where and how it began.