Beer with the tang of the sea

Organic sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) cultivated in the waters off eastern Canada is the latest seaweed product to be made into a beer.  Picaroons Traditional Ales owner, Sean Dunbar, was approached by Dr. Thierry Chopin, Scientific Director of the Canadian Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture Network, based at the University of New Brunswick, with the idea and the dark smokey ale is the result.  

“Picaroons is a well-regarded microbrewery with a great sense of humour for developing unique beers with equally amazing names. This beer represents our efforts at diversifying and commercializing our Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) products” said Chopin.

For Chopin, seeing how the first batch of 600L went in less than 3 days, and reading very positive feedback comments, is a clear indication that the recipe was right, not only to develop a very smooth beer with character, but also that combining two great Canadian maritime stories – IMTA kelp production and microbrewery success –  is certainly a winner.

 “Seaweeds lend themselves very well to the Integrated Sequential BioRefinery (ISBR) approach. With careful planning at the time of harvesting and sequential processing, more than one product can be manufactured from seaweeds.”