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Pope’s visit to the U.S. inspires a new brew

Posted at 8:38 AM, Sep 18, 2015
and last updated 2015-09-18 08:38:57-04

CAPE MAY, N.J. –Pope Francis visits the U.S. soon, and brewers in Cape May are praying he gets a sip of a brew inspired by his visit. "It's called YOPO. All the kids are saying YOLO, You Only Live Once, well, you only Pope once," says Ryan Krill, President of the Cape May Brewery.

While it may sound funny, Krill and his partners have done their homework.

"The beer the Pope likes to drink is a very light beer," describes Krill. " So what we did was we brewed a very light pale ale and put an unholy amount of hops in there."

The beer takes about three weeks to make. Krill is Catholic himself and used his background to come up with a rather irreverent name. "We wanted something playful and fun, but also something respectful to the Catholic institution," says Krill.

The beer will have a limited release since only one batch was produced, but the brewery is praying that Pope Francis will want to try the beer himself.

There is a precedent.

Tucked away in the hills of Italy is a group of Benedictine Monks who have been brewing since the 1600s and  who produced a brew sampled by Pope Benedict XVI.

The beer they made has delivered to the Vatican and even sipped by Pope Benedict, who was caught on camera holding a pint glass of their beer.

Then when Pope Benedict retired and the College of Cardinals gathered for the Conclave to select the next pope, the monks delivered their beer to the Conclave.

So, it's not entirely far-fetched or crazy that in Cape May, New Jersey, a different kind of white smoke has been brewing in recent weeks.