Dogfish Head Craft Brewery joins forces with Indigo Agriculture to brew Re-Gen-Ale, the first traceably sourced beer to address climate change through agriculture using Indigo Carbon, a program that provides growers with a financial incentive to store carbon in their soils. Releasing on Saturday, September 19, from Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats in Rehoboth, Delaware, Re-Gen-Ale offers drinkers the opportunity to give back to the planet with every pint or can consumed, making it the perfect jumpstart to this year’s Climate Week (Sept. 21-27) festivities.
Dogfish Head’s unique partnership with Indigo, a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, began back in January, when the first test batches of Re-Gen-Ale were brewed. Through Indigo’s Grain Marketplace, a platform used to connect growers and buyers of crops, Dogfish Head secured the traceably sourced ingredients to produce Re-Gen-Ale, including sustainable wheat grown with regenerative farming. Dogfish Head has also committed to purchasing more than the amount of carbon credits needed to offset the production of Re-Gen-Ale.
“Though this beer is just one small step toward developing more sustainable business practices, working with Indigo to brew Re-Gen-Ale has been a truly rewarding and thought-provoking experience,” said Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head. “It’s shown us how thoughtful and sustainable choices, both big and small, can impact our environment. It has also taught us about new, nature-based solutions we can implement to reduce our carbon footprint and help combat climate change while brewing unique and delicious beers, like Re-Gen-Ale. We had originally planned to release this beer on Earth Day but decided to push the launch to celebrate Climate Week. It’s been a longtime coming, but I think I speak for all of us at Dogfish Head and Indigo when I say, we can’t wait to share Re-Gen-Ale with all you beer and nature lovers!”
Dogfish Head’s brewers worked hand-in-hand with Indigo to create the recipe for Re-Gen-Ale, ensuring it utilized sustainable, traceably sourced ingredients from regional purveyors. The result is a farmhouse-style Saison with a soft, pillowy malt character; peppery, herbal hop profile; and refreshingly dry finish. Chock full of delicate flavors and aromas, this limited-edition beer is brewed with Willamette hops from Maine, Zuper Saazer hops from Michigan and a house-grown Saison yeast strain. It features malt from Epiphany Malt in North Carolina, a maltster dedicated to embracing regenerative farming, and regeneratively grown wheat from Kansas-based farmer, Doug Keesling, who has implemented regenerative growing practices for 20+ years. Regenerative growing practices – like cover cropping, increased crop diversity, not tilling the land, reducing pesticide and fertilizer use, and integrating livestock – remove carbon dioxide from the air, improve soil health and add to grower profitability.
“Agriculture has always wanted to do the right thing for the environment,” said Keesling. “By partnering with farmers to adopt practices that conserve our soil, water and environment, Dogfish Head and Indigo created a product that starts with protecting our valuable resources and ends with friends sharing a beer together. What’s not to love about that?”
In addition to thoughtfully sourcing Re-Gen-Ale’s ingredients, Dogfish Head will purchase more than the amount of carbon credits needed to offset the beer’s production. Purchasing these credits through Indigo allows Dogfish Head to help incentivize farmers to transition to regenerative growing practices that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
“With the brewing of Re-Gen-Ale, Dogfish Head has set a compelling example for brewers to consider the role of their suppliers – and agriculture more broadly – in the effort to address climate change,” said Noah Walker, Director of Carbon Product & Business Development at Indigo. “The partnership demonstrates that with the right tools, brands across the beer industry and beyond can efficiently unlock the potential of supply chains to address corporate sustainability and climate goals.”
Re-Gen-Ale will be available on draft and in 4pk/16oz cans at Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats in Rehoboth, starting Saturday, September 19. Packaged using bio-degradable, ocean-friendly beverage carriers from E6PR, each 4pk/16oz cans is priced at just $17. For more information about Dogfish Head’s partnership with Indigo or to learn more about Re-Gen-Ale, visit www.dogfish.com.
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