Doris Engelhard is a Bavarian religious sister of the Congregation of the Poor Franciscan Sisters of the Holy Family and a brewmaster. Engelhard brews her beer in the Kloster Mallersdorf, and feels that "brewing is her way of serving God." [1] Engelhard is the last nun working in Europe as a brewmaster. [2] [3]
Engelhard is a sister of the Poor Franciscan Sisters of the Holy Family. [4] In 1961, Engelhard started at Kloster Mallersdorf as a student. [2] The sisters of this congregation also helped take care of her sick mother. [2] Engelhard wanted to be a religious sister after her experience, but her father felt she could pursue more lucrative career choices. [2] So she thought about studying agriculture and then at the suggestion of the superior, studied brewing. [2] She began her postulancy in 1966 and made her vows in 1969. [2] In 1975, she became the brewmaster in Kloster Mallersdorf, taking over from another sister who had been brewing there since the 1930s. [4] In 1977, she was brewing 3,300 pints a year. [5] Today, Mallersdorf brews about 80,000 gallons of beer a year. [6] The beer brewed at Mallersdorf is not exported and is only consumed locally. [7] The beer is untreated and needs to be drunk while it is still fresh. [8]