About Us

Marblehead Brewing Co. is the first Orthodox monastic brewery in the world located in Marblehead, Massachusetts inside the Shrine of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Patron of Sailors, Brewers and Repentant Thieves.  We are not only brewing wonderful beer, but we're practicing sustainable philanthropy.

A majority of the profits from the sale of our beer support the charitable works of St. Paul's Foundation, a smaller amount will support the redevelopment of the Shrine of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Patron of Sailors, Brewers and Repentant Thieves.

During trips to oversee aid distributions in conflict areas throughout the Middle East our Founder would often have day long layovers in the Frankfurt Airport.  Seeking to make better use of his time, the Founder would rent a car and visit Trappist monastery breweries throughout Europe.  Even though our Founder was trained as an Orthodox monastic on Mount Athos and the Trappists are Roman Catholic monastics, the Trappists are a little like our great-grandchildren, since the Trappists broke from the Cistercians in 1892, the Cistercians broke from the Benedictines in 1098, and St. Benedict of Nursia (480-550 AD) wrote his "Rule" as a compilation and simplification of the teachings of Sts. Basil the Great on monasticism, which are followed by the Athonite monks referred to in chapter 73 of St. Benedict's Rule as a, "monument of the virtues of exemplary and obedient monks."  So in this way we see a link through the centuries between the Athonite and Trappist monks.

Without overstating it, perhaps in a small way the Marblehead Brewing Co. can serve as a bridge of healing friendship between Trappists and Athonites, and in a similar way, our beer will create friendship and community in Marblehead and beyond.