Beer Saints
The catholic church and related christian religions have a number of saints whose patronage has something to with beer, brewers, brewing ingredients or related occupations. By my reckoning, there are at least 28, possibly 29, of them. If you know of one I’m missing, please drop me a line.
Alphabetical List of Beer Saints
- St. Abdon: Patron saint of barrel-makers or coopers
Feast Day: July 30
St. Abdon is on the left, painting by Jaume Huguet (1459-60)
Links: Catholic Online / Lives of the Saints / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Adrian of Nicomedia: Patron saint of brewers and middle England’s brewers guild
Feast Day: Main Day: September 8; Secondary: March 4, August 26
Adrian, on left, with his wife Natalia, with whom he shares the September 8 feast day, icon by unknown artist
Links: Catholic Online / Reu / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Amand: Patron saint of bar staff, bartenders & beer merchants
(a.k.a. Amandus, Amandus of Elnon or Amantius)
Feast Day: February 6
From a 14th century manuscript
Links: Catholic Online / Saints Alive! / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Arnulf, Bishop of Metz: Patron saint of brewers
(a.k.a. St. Anou, Arnould, St. Arnold or Metz)
Feast Day: July 18
Stained glass window at the Sainte-Glossinde Chapel
Links: Catholic Encyclopedia / Catholic Online / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Arnold of Soissons: Patron saint of brewers, hop-pickers
(a.k.a. Arnoldus, Arnoul, Arnulf, Arnulphus; all of Soissons; birth name: Brabant)
Feast Day: July 8 & August 14
Painting in Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Gent, artist unk. (@ 1450)
Links: Catholic Online / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Arnou of Oudenaarde: Patron saint of beer, Belgian brewers, brewers (a.k.a. Arnouldus)
Feast Day: Unknown
Links: Mentioned in Saints of Suds by Steve Frank and Arnold Meltzer, but is without reference or attribution. This is what they say: “St. Arnou’s main claim to beer fame is that he successfully appealed to God for cold beer for the soldiers to drink during a battle in Flanders in the 11th century. Certainly a person we would want on our side. He also is said to have been able to multiply beer into vast quantities through blessing and prayer.” While cited elsewhere, such as the Dictionary of Beer and Brewing, I can find no separate information to corroborate a third St. Arnold (in this case St. Arnou) as separate and distinct from the other two, and list him here merely for completeness. - St. Augustine of Hippo: Patron saint of brewers
Feast Day: August 28
Painting by Philippe de Champaigne (1602–1674)
Links: Catholic Encyclopedia / Catholic Online / Lives of the Saints / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Barbara: Patron saint of brewers
Feast Day: December 4
Painting by Domenico Ghirlandaio (1743)
Links: Catholic Online / Lives of the Saints / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Bartholomew: Patron saint of mead drinkers
Feast Day: August 24
Painting by Dosso Dossi (1527)
Links: Catholic Online / Lives of the Saints / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Boniface: Patron saint of brewers, German brewers & innkeepers
(a.k.a. Apostle of the Germans, Winfrid, Wynfrith, or Wynfryth)
Feast Day: June 5
Painting by Alfred Rethel (1832)
Links: Catholic Encyclopedia / Lives of the Saints / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Brigid: Patron saint of brewers
(a.k.a. Bride, Bride of the Isles, Bridget of Ireland, Bridget, Brigid of Kildare, Brigit, Ffraid, Mary of the Gael)
Feast Day: February 1
Stained glass from St. Joseph Catholic Church, Macon, Georgia
Links: Catholic Online / Lives of the Saints / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Columbanus of Ghent: Patron saint of Belgium, brewers
Feast Day: February 2
Painting by unknown artist
Links: Celtic Saints - St. Cuthbert: Patron saint of maltsters
(a.k.a. Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne)
Feast Day: March 20
Icon by unknown artist
Links: Catholic Encyclopedia / Catholic Online / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Dorothy of Caesarea: Patron saint of brewers
Feast Day: February 6
(a.k.a. Dora, Dorotea, Dorothea)
Painting by unknown artist
Links: Catholic Online / Lives of the Saints / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Florian: Patron saint of brewers, coopers & barrel-makers
Feast Day: May 4
Painting by Francesco del Cossa (1473)
Links: Catholic Online / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. George: Patron saint of England
Feast Day: April 23, which also marked the end of the traditional Bavarian brewing season
Painting by Raphael (1504-06)
Links: Catholic Encyclopedia / Catholic Online / Lives of the Saints / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Hildegard of Bingen: Patron saint of hop-growers
Feast Day: September 17
Painting by unknown artist
Links: Catholic Encyclopedia / Catholic Online / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Joseph: The traditional beginning of Fruhjahrsbierfest in Munich
Feast Day: March 19
Painting by Guido Reni (1635)
Links: Catholic Encyclopedia / Catholic Online / Lives of the Saints / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Lawrence of Rome: Patron saint of brewers & malsters
(a.k.a. Laurence, Laurent, Laurentius, Lorenzo)
Feast Day: August 10
Painting by Francisco de Zurbaran (1660)
Links: Catholic Online / Lives of the Saints / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Luke the Apostle: Patron saint of brewers
Feast Day: October 18
Painting by Guercino (1652-53)
Links: Catholic Online / Lives of the Saints / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Martin of Tours: Patron saint of innkeepers, tavern-keepers
Feast Day: November 11
Painting by El Greco (1597-99)
Links: Catholic Online / Lives of the Saints / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Matthew: Patron saint of publicans
Feast Day: September 21
Painting by Guido Reni (1575-1642)
Links: Catholic Online / Lives of the Saints / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Medard of Noyon: Patron saint of brewers
(a.k.a. Medardus)
Feast Day: June 8
Central part of a triptych from St. Catherine Chapel by unknown artist (circa 16th century)
Links: Catholic Online / Lives of the Saints / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Nicholas: Patron saint of brewers; and yes, it’s that Saint Nick
(a.k.a. Klaus, Mikulas, Nicholas of Bari, Nicolaas, Nicolas, Niklas, Nikolaus, Santa Claus, Sinterklaas)
Feast Day: December 6
Painting by
Links: Catholic Online / Lives of the Saints / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Patrick: Patron saint of Ireland
Feast Day: March 17
Painting by unknown artist
Links: Catholic Online / Lives of the Saints / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Theodotus: Patron saint of innkeepers
Feast Day: May 18
Theodotus on left, icon by unknown artist
Links: Catholic Encyclopedia / Catholic Online / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Urban of Langres: Patron saint of coopers
Feast Day: April 2
Sculpture by unknown artist
Links: Catholic Online / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia - St. Veronus of Lambeek: Patron saint of Lambeek & Belgian brewers
Feast Day: January 31
Painting by unknown artist
Links: Saints 3s / Wikipedia - St. Wenceslas of Bohemia: Patron saint of Bohemia, Czech brewers
(a.k.a. Vaceslav, Václav, Wenceslaus, Wenzel)
Feast Day: September 28
Painting in Wawel Cathedral, Krakow, Poland, artist unknown
Links: Catholic Online / Lives of the Saints / Patron Saints Index / Wikipedia
By Feast Day
- January 31: St. Veronus (Belgian Brewers, Lambeek)
- February 1: St. Brigid (Brewers)
- February 2: St. Columbanus of Ghent (Belgium, Brewers)
- February 6: St. Amand (Bar Staff, Bartenders, Beer Merchants)
- February 6: St. Dorothy of Caesarea (Brewers)
- March 4: St. Adrian of Nicomedia, Martyrdom Day (Brewers)
- March 17: St. Patrick (Ireland)
- March 19: St. Joseph (traditional beginning of Munich’s Fruhjahrsbierfest)
- March 20: St. Cuthbert (Maltsters)
- April 2: St. Urban of Langres (Coopers)
- April 23: St. George (England)
- May 4: St. Florian (Brewers, Coopers, Barrel-Makers)
- May 18: St. Theodotus (Innkeepers)
- June 5: St. Boniface (Brewers, German Brewers, Innkeepers)
- June 8: St. Medard of Noyon (Brewers)
- July 8: St. Arnold of Soissons (Brewers, Hop-Pickers)
- July 18: St. Arnulf, Bishop of Metz (Brewers)
- July 30: St. Abdon (Barrel-Makers, Coopers)
- August 10: St. Lawrence (Brewers, Maltsters)
- August 14: St. Arnold of Soissons (Brewers)
- August 24: St. Bartholomew (Mead Drinkers)
- August 26: St. Adrian of Nicomedia, Greek Feast Day (Brewers)
- August 28: St. Augustine of Hippo (Brewers)
- September 8: St. Adrian of Nicomedia, Feast Day (Brewers)
- September 17: St. Hildegard of Bingen (Hop-Growers)
- September 21: St. Matthew’s Beer Festival Day (Publicans)
- September 28: St. Wenceslas (Bohemia, Czech Brewers)
- October 18: St. Luke (Brewers)
- November 11: St. Martin; Martinstag or Martinmas (Tavern-keepers)
- December 4: St. Barbera (Brewers)
- December 6: St. Nicholas (Brewers)
