Crafty Beverage! The World Now Has Blue Beer Made With Algae Thanks To These French Brewers

Disclaimer: This article does not encourage alcohol consumption.

Zythophile (noun): an individual who loves beer and all things beer-related; obsessed with talking about beer, tasting beer, cooking with beer, the history of beer, brewing techniques, pairing beer with food etc.

So, if you are a zythophile, you'd love to know that there is a new kind of beer brewing in Western Europe. According to a report by international news organisation Reuters, a French brewer has started using algae with a naturally-occurring pigment to their beer blue. Yes, you read that right - they are using algae to brew the beer.

Reuters

For the ones who are not exactly clear on what algae are or need a reminder- Algae is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades.

The beer's brand name is "Line", and it is the result of a tie-up between a firm that wants to popularise the algae as a dietary supplement, and a nearby craft brewery that was looking for a way to make its beverages more distinctive - they want to stand out, and we believe they are doing just that with blue algae beer.

Sebastien Verbeke, an employee of Hoppy Urban Brew, which makes the drink, said that the beer is selling well. He said, "It's getting an enormous amount of interest and curiosity on the part of the public."

Reuters

What makes the beer blue in colour?

Well, according to the aforementioned report, the beer's blue tint comes from spirulina, algae that are grown in basins by a company called Etika Spirulina in northern France. The component of the spirulina that gives the blue colour is called phycocyanin and it is then added to the beer during the brewing process.

Brewery employee Mathilde Vanmansart described the blue algae beer as hoppy, light, and with fruit notes. She added that the only evidence of the added algae is the distinctive colour.

Reuters

Xavier Delannoy, whose farm provides the spirulina, said after several test batches, the brewery had found a blend that appealed to customers. He said 1,500 bottles of the blue beer were sold between October and December last year, and the brewery is now preparing to ramp up production to meet demand.

Algae are commonly used in the food industry as food supplements and as additions to functional food. Algae are also added to meat products, such as pasty, steaks, frankfurters and sausages, as well as to fish, fish products, and oils, to improve their quality.

Reuters

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