Published by Press release
SAUSALITO, Calif., March 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — In a continuing effort to scale regenerative farming practices, Patagonia Provisions and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery have partnered to launch Kernza® Pils, a distinctively crisp and refreshing German-style pilsner beer made with Kernza, a remarkable perennial grain that draws down carbon from the atmosphere and sequesters it in the ground. Hitting shelves and taps starting today in select markets coast to coast, Kernza Pils is one of the most widely distributed Kernza-based beers on the market and marks a significant shift towards a more climate-friendly brewing industry.
In 2008, The Land Institute in Salina, Kansas, made a breakthrough in regenerative agriculture with the development of a perennial grain called Kernza. Whereas most grains are planted and harvested annually, Kernza stays in the ground year after year, developing roots up to 12 feet long. Perennial crops like Kernza are beneficial to the environment; they protect soil from erosion and improve soil structure. They increase ecosystem nutrient retention, carbon sequestration, and can contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation. And in the case of Kernza, they lend a uniquely nutty flavor that makes a delicious beer. The Patagonia Provisions and Dogfish Head collaborative launch of Kernza Pils marks an important milestone in scaling Kernza.
Kernza Pils (5.0% ABV) is an earthy, aromatic and notably refreshing pilsner brewed with organic malted barley, organic Contessa hops (a newly organic certified hop variety), and of course, Kernza perennial grain. The melodic interplay of the Kernza and Contessa hops provide the beer with its distinct flavor profile; the Kernza adds a subtle, spicy warmth to the beer, while the organic Contessa hops, with notes of pear and green tea, give it a bright, floral character and uniquely crisp, clean drinkability.
“We create each of our products with a solutions-based mindset, discovering and incorporating ingredients that help to solve the environmental crisis,” says Birgit Cameron, co-founder and head of Patagonia Provisions. “Together with Dogfish Head, we’re able to spotlight the important and pioneering work of The Land Institute. By creating market pull for a regenerative crop like Kernza perennial grain, we hope to incentivize farmers and brewers to shift in this direction and to further our commitment to being in business to save our home planet.”
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The launch of Kernza Pils represents the collective action of Patagonia Provisions and Dogfish Head taking steps towards scaling regenerative crops to inspire change in the brewing industry. Patagonia Provisions believes the future of farming, and our planet, lies in regenerative and organic agriculture – a practice that restores soil biodiversity, sequesters carbon and grows crops without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Similarly, Dogfish Head is committed to continuing to amplify its use of regeneratively and organically-grown brewing ingredients.
“Dogfish Head first brewed a beer with organic ingredients in 1995, when we used an organic Mexican coffee to create our Chicory Stout,” said Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head founder & brewer. “Since then, we have brewed countless beers with organic and regenerative ingredients, and have partnered with numerous organizations committed to addressing climate change and other environmental issues, like The Nature Conservancy, to whom we have donated more than $1M collectively since 2007. While Dogfish Head has always been focused on introducing high-quality culinary ingredients into the brewing process in creative ways, this partnership with Patagonia Provisions allows us to shine a spotlight on Kernza, a hardworking grain that not only TASTES good but DOES good.”
“Diverse perennial grain agriculture holds great promise to reverse and regenerate the degradation of the soils, resources and species upon which human life depends,” said Rachel Stroer, president of The Land Institute. “But the true power of perennial grains will only be realized when grown on the landscape at scale. Partners like Patagonia Provisions and Dogfish Head are leading the movement to get perennial crops, like Kernza, on more acres across the country. When it comes to perennials, more is better.”
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ABOUT PATAGONIA PROVISIONS
Founded by Yvon Chouinard and Birgit Cameron in 2012 and headquartered in Sausalito, CA, Patagonia Provisions offers responsibly-sourced food and beverage products. A certified B-Corporation, Patagonia Provisions’ mission is: We’re in business to save our home planet. Patagonia Provisions looks to reexamine best practices in food sourcing by working with like-minded advocates and producers to find solutions to the important environmental issues facing the food industry today. In late 2016, Patagonia Provisions released the first commercially available product made with Kernza®, a perennial grain developed by The Land Institute, with the release of Long Root Pale Ale. It was followed by the release of two additional beers, all with limited distribution on the West Coast. In early 2022, the company partnered with Dogfish Head Craft Brewery to scale Kernza on a national level with the release of Kernza® Pils.
ABOUT DOGFISH HEAD CRAFT BREWERY
Dogfish Head has proudly focused on brewing beers with culinary ingredients outside the Reinheitsgebot since the day it opened as one of the smallest American craft breweries more than 26 years ago. A supporter of the Independent Craft Brewing Seal, the definitive icon for American craft breweries to identify themselves to be independently-owned, Dogfish Head currently sells beer in all 50 states and Washington D.C. For more, visit www.dogfish.com, Facebook: @dogfishheadbeer, Twitter: @dogfishbeer, and Instagram: @dogfishhead.
ABOUT THE LAND INSTITUTE
The Land Institute co-leads the global movement for perennial, diverse, regenerative grain agriculture at a scale that matches the enormity of the intertwined climate, water, and food security crises. An independent 501c3 non-profit, the organization seeks to reconcile the human economy with nature’s economy, starting with food. Its transdisciplinary team of scientists, together with global partners, are developing new perennial grain crops, like Kernza, and diverse cropping systems that function within nature’s limits and researching the social transformation required for a just, perennial human future.
SOURCE Dogfish Head Craft Brewery