Given the seasonal inundation of material innovations like synthetic down-mimicking fibers for jackets and tree-sourced rubber for wetsuits, it’s easy to forget about Patagonia’s food-focused side project, Patagonia Provisions. Until it releases a new product that catches the attention of those who don’t care so much about its mission “to save our home planet” by promoting soil health with heirloom legumes and revitalizing mussel cultivation off the coast of Spain. A product, for example, like beer.
Patagonia’s newest brew and its second beer to date is Long Root Wit. It’s a new take on a Belgian-style Witbier brewed with a perennial grain called Kernza, which is also a key ingredient in Patagonia’s first beer, Long Root Ale. The “long root” moniker comes directly from Kernza, a wheat-like plant with a dense root system that lengthens down to 10 feet in the soil. Kernza’s unique biology prevents erosion, uses less water in growth and doesn’t require pesticides for cultivation, all of which meet Patagonia Provisions’s goal of sustainability.
It also makes good beer. In addition to Kernza, Long Root Wit is brewed with coriander and orange peel to create a light profile that’s refreshing and highly drinkable, so you can enjoy a can in the afternoon guilt-free, perhaps in a parking lot after summiting and skiing a nearby mountain.
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More info
Patagonia Provisions brews its beers in collaboration with Hopworks Urban Brewery in Portland, Oregon. According to a press release, Long Root Wit will be available in 12-ounce cans in select Whole Foods Markets and other stores in California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington.
