Brooklyn Brewery is rolling out its award-winning Fonio Rising Pale Ale. This innovative beer features sustainable fonio grain and is part of a campaign celebrating 30 years of brewing, aiming to engage consumers with refreshing flavours and cultural events throughout 2025.
Brooklyn Brewery has announced the nationwide launch of its Fonio Rising Pale Ale, a beer that has gained traction following a successful limited release in 2024, where it was honoured with Brewbound’s Best New Product of the Year award. Integrating fonio, an ancient and sustainable West African grain, this pale ale reflects the brewery’s commitment to innovation and cultural impact within the craft beer sector.
Introduced as part of the Brewing for Impact campaign, which celebrated Garrett Oliver’s 30 years at the brewery, Fonio Rising Pale Ale showcases the brewing potential of fonio, a climate-resilient crop that can thrive under harsh conditions without chemical inputs. According to Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery’s James Beard Award-winning Brewmaster, the introduction of fonio as a brewing ingredient marks a significant advance in the craft beer landscape. “With Fonio Rising Pale Ale joining our core lineup, African-grown fonio is finally reaching the mainstream—not just as a sustainable and socially impactful crop, but as an ingredient that makes great tasting beer,” he stated in an interview with Business Wire.
Market-wise, Fonio Rising Pale Ale is positioned to appeal to a diverse consumer base. Described as crisp and bursting with tropical fruit flavours, it leverages fonio’s unique characteristics to deliver a refreshing taste profile. It is suggested as a companion to various culinary pairings, from grilled seafood to spicy dishes, amidst the rising trend of flavour experimentation among craft beer consumers.
To capitalise on the launch, Brooklyn Brewery is collaborating with African Chop House to host events throughout 2025 that will highlight African food and culture, indicating a robust marketing strategy that not only promotes the beer but also fosters community engagement. Limited-edition merchandise and a brewing competition offering patrons the chance to collaborate on fonio-based beer further supports this initiative.
The full rollout of Fonio Rising Pale Ale is scheduled for late February, with distribution in both six-packs of 12oz cans and on draft across the United States. As the craft beer market continues to evolve, Brooklyn Brewery’s incorporation of fonio into its core offerings exemplifies a trend towards sustainable and socially-responsible ingredients in the industry, serving as a potential blueprint for other brewers seeking to innovate and resonate with conscious consumers.
In conclusion, Brooklyn Brewery’s focus on fonio not only aligns with current market demands for sustainability and cultural authenticity but also reinforces the brewing community’s obligation to promote ingredients and practices that support local economies and ecological health. The launch of Fonio Rising Pale Ale positions Brooklyn Brewery as a frontrunner in the continuing intersection of craft brewing with social impact.
Source: Noah Wire Services
