What is Fonio Beer?

Garrett Oliver, the brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery, recently announced the "Brewing for Impact" campaign. For this initiative, he is partnering with global breweries to produce unique beers using fonio, a type of millet from West Africa. Naturally gluten-free, fonio requires no irrigation, fertilizers, pesticides, or other chemical input.

This ancient grain has thrived for 5,000 years, including in nutrient-poor soil in arid regions near the Sahel Desert, where many other crops fail. It has the versatility and heat resistance to provide a climate-resilient option to farmers, and ultimately, brewers.

Tasting Notes

So, how does a beer made with fonio look and taste?

“When mashed, fonio has no color at all,” says Oliver. “100% fonio beer is as clear as sake.” He adds that despite having no gluten, fonio contributes to a soft and rounded mouthfeel in beer and promotes crisp hop bitterness. Plus, fonio contributes to some beautiful—and sometimes surprising—aromas in beer. “When fermented by beer yeasts, fonio produces fruity tropical aromatics reminiscent of lychee fruit,” Oliver says. Beers made with fonio are often described as having wine-like aromatics, with notes that might usually be associated with Gewurztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc. “These aromas are produced by both lager yeasts and ale yeasts in fermentations containing a portion of fonio,” Oliver says.

How to use Fonio in Beer

For brewers, using new grains and seeds can be a learning curve, and logistics of use must be considered. “Fortunately, fonio is very easy to work with in the brewhouse,” Oliver says. He explains that the version of fonio that is exported internationally has been de-hulled and steamed, and that the steaming provides a pre-gelatinization step. This paves a straightforward path for brewers. “Fonio hydrates within five minutes,” Oliver says. “At Brooklyn Brewery we typically add fonio to the mash during the last saccharification rest; this seems to give us the best aromatics.” Conversely, in a single-temperature mash, a brewer would mash the fonio in together with the other grains.

Garrett's exploration with fonio was inspired by esteemed Senegalese chef Pierre Thiam, who has played a key role in introducing fonio to the Western world. After seeing a TED talk by Thian, Oliver saw the potential to use fonio in a brewing context, to support African communities and farmers. Among the breweries involved in the “Brewing For Impact” initiative and committed to producing a beer using fonio for limited release are Thornbridge in the UK, which will produce a pale cask ale; Omnipollo in Sweden, making a chocolate stout; and Russian River in California, which will make a Belgian blonde ale. Beer industry giants Carlsberg and Guinness are also on board. Brooklyn Brewery's Fonio Rising is a double pilsner with 6.4% ABV and uses Hallertau, Perle and Saaz hops. It is described as "floral, fruity, snappy" with tropical notes of both mango and lychee. It has limited availability and was released in time for the 2023 holiday season.

For Oliver, a James Beard award-winning brewmaster, this is the latest in many innovative campaigns in the craft beer industry, supporting his steadfast commitment to sustainability and social change within the industry and beyond. Fonio has been called a ‘miracle grain’, a crop that can endure the climate crisis and drought conditions. By introducing brewers around the world to this brewing ingredient, Garrett hopes to see wider use of this sustainable grain in beer.

BeerHollie StephensAugust 23, 2024Comment