It was the year 1070. Cistercian monks arrived in Gaume and settled down for about 40 years before leaving for unknown reasons. A small community of canons and, much later on, 7 monks formed a single community and led pretty quiet lives until the French revolution. In order to finance the massive reconstruction of the charred remains of their abbey, the Cistercians established the Orval Brewery in 1931. Right from the start, the monastery hired lay-brewers to help brew the beers, including a master brewer who invented the recipe of the now-legendary Orval Trappist Ale. Orval Brewery only produces one beer, which is the Trappist Ale, but it is one of the most sought-after beers in the world!