Beer's Future

Hi everyone and welcome to the interview and analysis corner! This week, we’re going to hear from beverage industry specialist, operations master, drinks connoisseur and close friend of mine: Megan Dewhirst.

She’s giving us her thoughts on a new, sustainable way to make beer that has been taking the beverage industry by storm and what it means for the future of beer. Let’s dig in.

Hi there, Meg speaking.

The outdoor clothing brand - Patagonia - and its food and drinks arm - Patagonia Provisions - has been recently pushing the “regenerative brewing” trend these past few months, while also advertising a new Kernza® grain they’ve been using to make their sustainable larger, instead of wheat or barley.

I was curious to find out more, to say the least.

What is Kernza®?  

Kernza® is a perennial grain that has a remarkable root system that can penetrate up to 12 feet into the earth. And, as a perennial grain, it stays rooted for years and produces harvests for a minimum of 2-3 years. 

On the other hand, commercial beer is brewed using annual grains that are planted and harvested each year, leading to poor soil health and bad water retention, reliance on synthetic fertilizers, and an over-use of fossil fuels to power the machines that annually replant and harvest crops. 

But Kernza® thrives without pesticides and synthetic fertilisers; its extensive network of roots efficiently uses water and nutrients and removes more carbon than annual grains. 

It even boasts wider benefits for farmers, as its resilience can help it withstand the tumultuous weather caused by climate change. 

Does Kernza® beer taste any good? 

Kernza® has an excellent flavour quality which is suggested to be best paired with the American Wheat Beer, German Weissbier or Belgian Wietbier styles. 

But, unlike traditional grains, Kernza’s® seed is around 80% smaller than conventional grain, meaning that it has to be cracked or ground to release all the flavours, starches and proteins.

With this unusual production process comes a fuller-bodied beer with good head retention, foam stability, and a bright finish.

On top of that, Kernza® contains more protein, more dietary fibre, and more nutrients than most common wheat varieties. So, I’d say it's doing pretty well on the scorecard! 

Facing challenges

Sam Calagione, the founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, says the real “challenge working with Kernza® is its availability. It’s a finite crop with limited acreage”.

It is still a niche market, its seed size is much smaller than regular wheat or barley, and the actual yield of Kernza® is relatively low compared to traditional wheat. 

And, when harvest yields are uncertain - like in 2019 when General Mills had to pause plans for eco-friendly cereal after a bad 2018 harvest - this does not make for a stable market.

Is it worth it?

Personally, I think so. Supply inspires demand and with more space to grow Kernza®, the more yield there will be. 

But beyond the supply and demand equation, the team behind Kernza® are developing new varieties and growing methods to make it viable on a commercially larger scale.

With four breeding programmes looking at yield, resistance, seed size, and grain quality, the Kernza® perennial grain seed size is set to be 50% as large as annual wheat seed size in the next 10 years.

And, while we may not be able to fully transition to it just yet, I believe it is certainly something to encourage. The potential of Kernza® is great and continued support can only push the movement forward. 

After all, it makes a great beer. So why not give it a shot?