Revellers across the US will be able to grab themselves a beverage refreshingly sustainable this Holiday season thanks to the launch of a partnership this year between Brooklyn Brewery and the purpose driven food business Yolélé.
Together, the pair has released Fonio Rising, a craft beer made with the climate resistant, ancient Western African grain fonio and delivered as part of Yolélé’s mission to bring underutilised African ingredients – like fonio – to global tables.
Known as the ‘seed of the universe’, fonio is a grain in the millet family which has thrived in West Africa for over 5,000 years. It has gained significant attention recently for its high nutritional profile and culinary versatility and has even been recognised as part of the UN’s declaration that 2023 was the “year of the millet.”
Brooklyn Brewery’s story of working with fonio began in 2019 when the company’s brewmaster, Garrett Oliver contacted the esteemed Senegalese Chef Pierre Thiam whose pioneering food company – Yolélé – has played a pivotal role in introducing fonio to the Western world. Inspired by Chef Thiam’s TED talk, Brooklyn Brewery embarked on a mission to craft a beer that pays homage to the heritage of the grain while supporting smallholder farms in West Africa.
Last year, Brooklyn Brewery and Yolélé’s first partnership, Brooklyn Brewery x Yolélé Fonio White Beer was released regionally in the US as well as the Brewery’s collaboration with Run the Jewels, a beer dubbed 36” Chain.
Brooklyn Brewery’s Fonio Rising began rolling out to Whole Foods Market stores across the US in October this year.
“No fertilizers, no irrigation, no pesticides, no insecticides, no fungicides – nothing,” explained Garrett. “Whether you look at it from an environmental perspective, a social benefit perspective for the farming communities, or from a brewing perspective, fonio is so good that it seems like someone must have just made it up.
“But fonio is real and Africa grows 700,000 tons of it every year. Fonio is easy to brew with and gives beautiful flavours to beer. This is very exciting stuff and I can easily envision a future where fonio is widely used as an everyday brewing ingredient, bringing vast benefits to brewers, beer drinkers, farmers, and the planet.”
Fonio has the ability to flourish where other crops struggle. In arid regions near the Sahel Desert, this nutritious and gluten free grain thrives in nutrient-poor soil without the need for fertilizers or pesticides. Also drought-resistant, fonio also helps regenerate soil within a two-month growing period, resulting in bountiful harvest and providing a source of income for rural communities in fonio-farming countries.
It’s believed fonio can play a key role in our efforts to forge a sustainable, biodiverse food system that addressed the effects of climate change.
