Ohio Man Honors 17th-Century Monks by Consuming Only Beer During Lent

There are no strict rules about what Catholics can and can't give up for the Lent: Observers of the holy season can choose to abstain from everything from fried foods to social media. This year, one Ohio man is making the extreme pledge to give up food entirely, consuming only beer during Lent, Cincinnati news station WKRC reports.

Del Hall isn't just using Lent as an excuse to day-drink for 46 days straight. His decision to limit his diet to beer is an homage to the 17th-century Bavarian monks who made a similar sacrifice during Lent. In that case, they were limited to bock beer, a robust German beer they dubbed "liquid bread." As an employee at the Fifty West Brewing Company in Cincinnati, Hall will have access to beers of all varieties.

Four days into the challenge, Hall told WKRC, "I'm very nervous about it." But he's no stranger to pushing his body to the limit, and compares the challenge to his previous experiences training in the Army and running marathons.

Hall hopes to make it to April 21 subsisting on the all-liquid diet, but he realizes that may not be possible. He'll be monitoring his body and seeing a physician regularly to make sure his fast doesn't pose a threat to his health.