Philly Seminary Serving 'Holy' Beer During Pope's Stay

Do you think the pope will imbibe?
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 26, 2015 12:06 PM CDT
Philly Seminary Serving 'Holy' Beer During Pope's Stay
Holy Wooder, a beer inspired by Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia, will be on tap at the seminary where he is staying.   (Katy Loringer /Philadelphia Brewing Co. via AP)

There's a distinct possibility that when Pope Francis kicks back after a long day of appearances and addresses in Philadelphia today, he'll relax with a frosty glass of local pope-inspired beer, the AP reports. The St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, where Pope Francis will be sleeping and resting during his Philly visit, requested a half-keg of Philadelphia Brewing Company's limited-edition Holy Wooder to celebrate the Holy Father's visit. "We don't usually do home deliveries, but we made an exception," brewery co-owner Bill Barton says.

The AP reports Holy Wooder—the name is a play on the way Philadelphians pronounce "water"—is a "powerful Belgian-style tripel" with 9.75% ABV that "guarantees to cleanse your soul and set you on the path to righteousness." It's unclear if Pope Francis is a beer drinker like his predecessor, but even if he doesn't partake, Holy Wooder has been an unqualified success for Philadelphia Brewing Company. "It's at the highest demand of any product we've ever made," Barton says. "I've never seen anything like it. I wish we made more." (More Pope Francis stories.)

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