Okay. It turns out that I like very fresh Belgian beer when golloped down sipped decorously from the correctly-shaped glasses. Affligem, founded 1074. They make some rocking beers. Yum. Also, they have a nifty website, complete with monkish soundtrack and the phhtt of popping beer caps. And, why yes, I have indeed been indulging this evening/morning: the blond, and the dubbel, and the trippel. And, yes, I do have something to celebrate, but, no, I’m not telling. Yet.
Now I must tilt slowly towards the horizontal. Smiling, always smiling…
Nicola Griffith 
Beer and secret celebrating are states of being that I can totally understand. Did you happen to read in the NYT last month about chicha? It's a South American beer made with human-masticated maize…beer in all its diversity is a wondrous thing.
I want to know more about the 'six pillaging knights [who] established themselves in Affligem to adopt the monastic life of the Benedictines.'
anon@6:08, I know of chicha–but have never tried it. Even dislike the *word* mastication. Urk.
hampshireflyer (have we met here before? if not, welcome), yep, woo-hoo, go the pillaging knights! Gotta be a story in there somewhere.
@ Nicola – don't think we have, so hello!
I'd be terribly disappointed if they just turned out to have done it as some sort of medieval tax-avoidance scheme… Although someone like KJ Parker could probably even have some fun with that.