[Bellingham, WA and Sausalito, CA] — This month marks a significant milestone in the brewing industry and in the greater regenerative organic agricultural movement: the release of the world’s first Regenerative Organic Certified® beer. Patagonia Provisions and Aslan Brewing Company together are launching World’s First Regenerative Organic Certified® IPA, available on draft at the brewery’s Bellingham and Seattle locations for a limited time starting April 19th.
Patagonia Provisions x Aslan Brewing Co. World’s First Regenerative Organic Certified® IPA is made with Regenerative Organic Certified® Kernza®, Regenerative Organic Certified® Pilsner Malt from Breathe Deep Farm in New York’s Hudson Valley, and organic Chinook Hops and Strata Hops from Washington’s Roy Farms. The beer (6.6% ABV) boasts bold flavors of berry and pine and finishes crisp and refreshing with a balanced bitterness. Expect tropical aromas with hints of sweet orange and berry.
Aslan Brewing Co., a B-Corporation with a USDA-certified organic brewery in Bellingham, Washington, joined Patagonia Provisions’ partnership program last summer (along with 10 other breweries) with the release of Kernza® Lager, brewed with Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC™) Kernza and other organic ingredients. Just this month, Patagonia Provisions announced the addition of 11 more partner breweries across the country, each brewing their own regional iterations of Kernza Lager, strengthening a collaborative commitment to scaling regenerative and organic ingredients that are better for the planet.
To become Regenerative Organic Certified®, the highest standard for organic agriculture in the world, this beer had to meet stringent requirements for soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness. The Patagonia Provisions x Aslan Brewing Co. World’s First Regenerative Organic Certified® IPA is the very first ROC™ beer.
Developed by Kansas-based research non-profit The Land Institute, Kernza is a deeply rooted perennial grain. Whereas most grains are planted and harvested annually, Kernza stays in the ground year after year, developing roots up to 12 feet long. Perennial grains like Kernza stabilize soil, require minimal tilling, increase soil organic matter, and improve soil structure and water-holding capacity. When used in beer, Kernza adds a deliciously rich but subtle nutty flavor.
Patagonia Provisions is confident that ongoing research will also confirm that Kernza draws down and stores more carbon in the soil than annual grains.
The ROC™ Kernza is sourced from A-Frame Farm and Prairie Grass Ranch. Farmer Luke Peterson, along with his wife Ali, own and operate A-Frame Farm, a 1,200-acre ROC™ farm in Dawson, Minnesota, where they grow grains without the use of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, or other chemical growth-enhancing or inhibiting substances. Family-owned and operated Prairie Grass Ranch is a 7,400-acre ROC™ crop and livestock operation in the foothills of the Bears Paw Mountains in north-central Montana. Fourth-generation ranchers Jody and Crystal Manuel and their children grow Kernza alongside perennial crops while the grass-fed cattle herd serves as an integral part of the holistic farm system. Both farms are members of the Perennial Promise Grower’s Cooperative, a farmer-led ingredients company working to grow the impact of Kernza by empowering more farmers to plant it and ensuring a high-quality product for the brands that source it. Through a partnership with Mad Agriculture, Kernza farmers in the cooperative are able to scale their growing operations and connect with more brands like Patagonia Provisions.
As consumer demand has grown for Kernza Lager across the country, the limited supply of ROC™ Kernza has been almost entirely utilized. So much so that other partner breweries have shifted to certified organic Kernza until the next harvest of ROC™ Kernza becomes available in 2025. Patagonia Provisions has been championing the use of regenerative organic ingredients in beer for several years, leading with Kernza and exploring ROC™ rye and ROC™ barley for future beers. To date, partner breweries have sourced more than 50,000 pounds of certified organic ingredients, including 12,000 pounds of ROC™ Kernza. By making beer with more regenerative and organic ingredients, breweries have the potential to move the industry towards a more regenerative future to combat the climate crisis.
Patagonia Provisions x Aslan Brewing Co.’s World’s First Regenerative Organic Certified® IPA is available at Aslan Brewing Co.’s three locations in Washington, but supply is limited.
