Last year Patagonia got into the beer game, teaming up with craft beer pioneers Dogfish Head Brewery to produce Kernza® Pils, a German-style pilsner made with organic hops and the regenerative perennial Kernza grain.
And this summer the venerable outdoor apparel company is still at it, recently announcing a partnership with 11 craft breweries around the country to produce a new light lager, also anchored with Kernza.
Each brewery was given the freedom to create their own recipe to come up with what Patagonia calls “wildly drinkable beers,” which are available at the taprooms of participating breweries, including Maine’s Allagash Brewing Company and California’s Russian River. Sierra Nevada, which has an outpost in Mills River, N.C., is the only brewery making Patagonia’s beer from our neck of the woods, but cans—that will hopefully be widely distributed—are coming soon.
Patagonia’s beer offerings come from company offshoot Patagonia Provisions, which sells responsibly sourced food and beverages. In line with apparel mainstay’s longstanding commitments to environmental initiatives, Patagonia wanted to make Kernza-based beers because the grain has long roots that sequester carbon, help build topsoil, and prevent erosion.
“Craft beer drinkers want great tasting beers made with clean ingredients that are better for the planet, and we look forward to bringing these beers to Patagonia customers and all beer lovers,” said Paul Lightfoot, general manager of Patagonia Provisions, in a statement.
Photo courtesy of Patagonia Provisions
