Could You Survive on a Beer-Only Diet?

Surviving for 40 days on a diet of beer and water might seem like the premise of a frat house comedy film, but for the Paulaner monks of Neudeck ob der Au in Bavaria, this liquid diet was evidence of their religious devotion.

In the 17th century, these devout beer-brewing monks adopted a liquid-only diet for their Lenten fast. Naturally, they couldn't survive on water alone, so they developed a special brew that would sustain them throughout Lent. Thus, the doppelbock style was born. Nicknamed "liquid bread," it was rich and malty, and full of enough calories, carbohydrates, and nutrients to see the monks through until Easter.

In 2011, Iowa-based journalist and home brewer J. Wilson decided to try this Lenten fast for himself by consuming four beers on weekdays and five on weekends. In addition to water, he exclusively drank Illuminator Doppelbock – one of his own recipes – designed to approximate the monks' original brew.

The Lenten liquid diet: