Carlsberg has created a new type of beer using only fonio grains, without the use of any barley or bittering hops. The grain, which has thrived in West Africa for over 5,000 years and is widely used in African cooking, can excel in poor soils and is drought-resistant.
The 7.5% brew, named simply ‘Fonio’ , was brewed in collaboration with Brooklyn Brewery as part of its ‘Brewing for Impact’ campaign. The aim, to spotlight the potential of fonio in more sustainable brewing.
Zoran Gojkovic, Director of Brewing Science & Technology, Carlsberg said: “When Garrett Oliver, Brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery, approached me to discuss what we could create with fonio, the first thing I thought was why has no one made a beer that is completely fonio?”
To launch the brew, Carlsberg has teamed with Michelin starred chef, Adejoké Bakare of London’s Chishuru restaurant, to create a unique five course tasting menu, showcasing the beer’s impressive pairing capabilities whilst paying homage to fonio’s West African roots.
Discussing the menu Bakare said: “I love fonio and so I was thrilled to put together a menu (below) based around it. Pairing our food with a fonio beer – and even using that beer in one of the dishes – was a joy. The beer itself is fruity but with a hint of bitterness, making it as versatile as fonio itself when it comes to menu creation.”
He added: “Fonio is a hardy crop and a little goes a long way – so it is brilliant to see the crop be put on the world’s stage, especially as this could crucially create valuable second incomes for fonio farmers”.
Carlsberg’s Fonio beer will be available in limited quantities from the Home of Carlsberg in Copenhagen from August.
