Some 185 hectolitres – that is more than 32,500 pints – of dark beer from St Marienthal, the oldest Cistercian monastery in Germany, is on its way to China. First brewed in 1347 under Emperor Charles IV, the beer was popular not only for its smooth taste but also because it was cheap as the monastery was exempt from tax. Today 25 per cent of the beer is exported to China, but this is the first time that a whole shipping container has been ordered by a Chinese wholesaler. If all the