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PRODUCT INNOVATION
Global brewers lead an effort to promote West Africa’s fonio grain
By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2024
Carlsberg and Guinness are among the brewing brands collaborating on a project to spotlight the untapped brewing potential of fonio.
Fonio, an ancient grain celebrated in West Africa for thousands of years but still relatively unknown to most consumers around the world, may be about to get an image boost – thanks to a limited-edition beer being launched by global brewing giant Carlsberg as part of an international brewing collaboration.
Its new Fonio beer is being released to spotlight the untapped brewing potential of African grains and has been brewed in Carlsberg’s research laboratory in Denmark.
The collaboration is called ‘Brewing for Impact’. The initiative sees breweries from seven countries coming together to create a series of limited-edition beers that will spotlight fonio’s health qualities.
Fonio is a member of the millet family and is related to other grains important in African agriculture, including pearl millet and sorghum. Said to have been used in West Africa for at least 5,000 years, it has more nutrients, flavour and protein than refined wheat. It also provides iron, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus and other essential minerals.
Carlsberg Fonio Lager. Photo: Carlsberg
Central to the fonio brewing project is Brooklyn Brewery’s multi-award winning brewmaster, Garrett Oliver, who pioneered fonio brewing in 2019. The brewery is in the New York City borough of Brooklyn and is known among beer aficionados for its innovative product offerings and commitment to social change within the industry and beyond.
Guinness is among the brewing collaborators
Among the other collaborating breweries is global brand Guinness, as well as regional breweries Maison Kalao in Senegal, Thornbridge in the United Kingdom, Omnipollo in Sweden, Russian River in the US, and Jing-A in China.
“Rolling out throughout 2024, the series of limited-edition beers will spotlight fonio’s remarkable qualities and potential to drive positive change and a more sustainable future, with each respective brewery contributing its own expertise and creativity to the lineup,” says Carlsberg in a press release.
Fonio Lager is available as a limited release product and is being sold in a 750ml glass bottle. The label design was created by Kevin Bongang, a commercial muralist, designer and painter born in Cameroon.
Says Lynsey Woods, Carlsberg Global Brand Director: “This beer is living proof of what happens when curious minds come together to make something special, both in the beer and in the art and design of the bottle.”
According to the website Science Direct, fonio is grown throughout the savanna areas of west Africa, notably in Guinea and Nigeria.
You can watch a YouTube video about the Carlsberg-Brooklyn Brewery fonio brewing collaboration here.
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