At the 2024 Craft Brewers’ Conference in Las Vegas last week, Brooklyn Brewery’s Garrett Oliver noted that “It’s kinda hard to get away from the fact that we are literally in an industry that releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere on a [regular] basis.” Brewing with regenerative cereal grains mitigates the environmental impacts of the beer business. Kernza is one such grain, and Patagonia Provisions, the food and beverage wing of the outdoor goods company, is partnering with DC’s very own Atlas Brew Works on a Kernza lager.
“When used in beer, it adds a deliciously rich but subtle nutty flavor,” notes a press release. “As a brewery deeply committed to sustainability, we’re excited to pioneer the use of Kernza, a restorative grain that not only produces exceptional beer but also embodies our mission of being a good environmental steward,” said Justin Cox, Founder & CEO of Atlas Brew Works. “By pairing Kernza with our solar panel initiative, we’re not only offsetting our carbon footprint but also sowing the seeds of a more sustainable tomorrow, one pint at a time.”
“Kernza, a deeply-rooted regenerative perennial grain, has the potential to transform the brewing industry. Patagonia Provisions is confident that ongoing research will also confirm that Kernza draws down and stores more carbon in the soil than annual grains,” claims the press release, which… sure; those roots do look deep, and not every brewery can be a working farm brewery.
The cohort brewing with Kernza also includes Hardywood Park (Richmond, VA) to our south, and Troeg’s (Hershey, PA) to our north. The Patagonia Provisions x Atlas Brew Works Kernza® Lager will be available in both Atlas taprooms beginning May 2. If you’re not into lagers–and shame on you if that’s the case!–a fresh batch of Tropic Thunder IPA is also available.
In other Atlas news, the brewery remains on track for a late spring opening in Alexandria–think Memorial Day–with a taproom at National Airport coming online shortly thereafter.
