Those crafty German monks, it seems, have been up to new tricks, inventing the world’s first powdered beer. Thirsty hikers like us could someday benefit.
A monastic brewery in East Germany says it has created the first powdered beer. Just add water, and it’ll froth up, complete with a foamy head and full flavor. The result promises massive savings on transport, because it can be shipped at 10% of the weight.
Klosterbrauerei Neuzelle’s first powdered product, a dextrin-rich zero-alcohol beer which has been brewed using conventional methods, then “processed and prepared into a water-soluble beer powder/granulate.” It’s testing this powder on the market in small quantities until mid-2023, but the plan is to start making alcoholic beers soon, and scale things up – so long as people go for it. And the team believes there’s a chance to ditch traditional brewing techniques as well, compressing the process to minimize the use of raw materials, labor and energy.
The Great Powdered Beer Progenitors
Massive transport savings will help save the planet, which is great and all, but here at Hungry Hiker we have one thing in mind: Backcountry boozing is about to get a whole lot easier!
Think about it: Beer without aluminum and water, which, if we’re to believe these crafty monk, comprises about 90% of canned beer’s total weight.
So, what does that mean for weight savings in real numbers? A 12-pack of beer weighs about 20 pounds, give or take a few ounces. That means that if we could get rid of the aluminum cans and water from our beloved brews, we’d shed 18 pounds per 12-pack!
We’ll have to show some patience, however. Klosterbrauerei plans to slowly test the product, first in Asia and Africa where transportation costs are highest. Hungry Hiker, ever steadfast, will keep an eye on it for you.
More beer. Less weight. Powdered beer, coming…someday…to a backcountry viewpoint near you.
