Brooklyn Brewery announced yesterday the launch of Brooklyn Brewery x Yolélé Fonio White Beer, a craft beer brewed with fonio, the ancient West African grain that Yolélé has helped bring to U.S. masses. The beer will be available at select Whole Foods Market stores throughout the Northeast in addition to Brooklyn Brewery’s Tasting Room throughout October.
“A few years ago I saw Chef Pierre Thiam’s TED talk about fonio, and immediately said to myself ‘This grain sounds amazing…I wonder if we can make beer from it?’ After all, beer brewing has been an important part of traditional African cultures for thousands of years, and here was one of the grains that was once a staple for people in that part of the world,” Brooklyn Brewery’s James Beard Award-winning Brewmaster, Garrett Oliver said in a statement.
Yolélé and Brooklyn Brewery share the goal of promoting a viable future for food and beverage.
"It's been my mission to bring the flavors of Africa to America. By utilizing fonio in food and beverage sold in the States, Yolélé supports livelihoods on smallholder farms in West Africa,” Pierre Thiam, Senegalese chef, restaurateur, author, and co-founder of Yolélé, said in a statement. “Working with Garrett and the Brooklyn Brewery team has been an incredible partnership, and I am proud to see this delicious beer with an African flair on the shelves of Whole Foods Market."
Fonio, a grain in the millet family, is a staple crop and source of sustenance. The ancient African grain has thrived in West Africa for over 5,000 years. As a drought-resistant crop, it may hold key lessons about agriculture in the face of climate change.
“Not only is the beer really tasty, but growing fonio supports the environment and supports indigenous farms in West Africa. It’s a big win all around,” said Oliver.
Brooklyn Brewery previously featured fonio in its recent collaborative brew with Run The Jewels, a double pilsner dubbed 36” Chain, and in Seed, Stalk And Root, brewed in partnership with Cajun Fire Brewing Co.
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