Today is the saint day of a patron who is near and dear to my craft-beer loving heart: Saint Arnold, Beer Brewer and Savior of Humanity.

So, here’s the thing about St. Arnold: he is an unlikely saint, as most are, but not because he did things wrong, but because he did them correctly.

He started his career in life as a soldier near modern day Brussels, but ended up at a monastery in France, learning beer brewing from the brothers. He rose to become the Abbot of Medard’s Abbey, though he tried to flee from the responsibility. Lore has it that he ran from the cloister and wolf chased him, hunted him down, and convinced him to go back and serve the vocation.

That’s a fun call story if I’ve ever heard one…

Instead of being OK serving this monastery in France, he chose to found his own in Oudenberg, and there began brewing beer in force. The people of Oudenberg were being plagued by infested water, probably from human waste dumped too close to the local water source, and encouraging them to drink the beer rather than the water actually saved lives.

Plus, this beer was low gravity, giving them the ability to do their work well while also staying alive. A plus in my book.

This blessed saint is still honored in Brussels on the “day of beer,” as a reminder that sometimes when the local water source is contaminated, some boiling (and hops) will be the cure.

Saint Arnold is for me, and should be for the whole church, that no topic is as simple as “good or bad,” and sometimes science in the kitchen can lead to health in the streets.