I love the story to much to not share it whenever the opportunity arises:

The reason beer is accepted from lent

Monasteries have a long tradition of brewing beer as it is a long process that needed knowledge man power and space, which was available in monasteries, but not many other places.

To be allowed to drink beer, the German priests planned to bring a barrel over the alps to the pope in rome. ( Presumably as a bribe ?). Throughout the long journey through the mountain and down to Italy, the beer has been shaking, heated, and cooled multiple times. This apparently made it taste so terribly that the pope said after trying one sip:

"If you barbarians want to drink this absolut garbage, this is penance enough for the alcohol in it. You have my blessings "