Fotografiska and New Carnegie Brewery create circular beer called Echo

April 16, 2019

Together with nearby Nya Carnegiebryggeriet (New Carnegie Brewery, founded 2012 by Carlsberg Sweden and Brooklyn Brewery) Fotografiska is now launching its own beer, Echo. A beer brewed from, among other things, leftover sourdough bread from Fotografiska’s kitchens. The name reflects the fact that the organic hops and malt are eco-friendly and that the beer, like an echo, makes a return as by-products from the brewing process are used to bake new bread. A circular beer that does good and tastes good.

Echo is a circular beer brewed from, among other things, leftover sourdough bread from Fotografiska. The name reflects the fact that the beer creates an echo and makes a return, albeit in another form. In line with Fotografiska’s zero-waste philosophy, leftover bread from the bakery, the restaurant and the cafe are repurposed rather than discarded. At the brewery, the leftover bread is mixed with organic hops and malt. The spent grain and sediment left after filtration are left to dry and milled into flour, which Fotografiska then uses to bake new bread. So Echo is a beer that always makes a return.

“Our food philosophy is about sustainable pleasure, so we’re very happy to be able to unveil a beer brewed from our leftover homemade bread. We always strive to achieve zero waste and view leftovers as new ingredients. What’s more, we use the entire ingredient, enabling us to achieve unique taste sensations. Which is just what this beer offers, as the leftover bread adds to the flavour,” says Paul Svensson, Fotografiska’s creative head chef.

The beer is a Belgian blond ale with a fruity taste and a mild bitter tone, ideally suited to many different types of food. Echo will be available both on tap and bottled and will initially be served at Fotografiska’s restaurant, bar and cafe.

“We’ve experimented with brewing beer with a zero-waste approach before. We immediately embraced Fotografiska’s idea to brew a beer made from leftover bread. Its both a fun challenge as far as brewing goes and a very timely reminder for consumers,” says Chris Thurgeson, brewmaster at Nya Carnegiebryggeriet.

Echo aptly reflects the fundamental idea behind Fotografiska’s vision to inspire greater awareness in the world. The fact that their restaurant was named Museum Restaurant of the World by Leading Culture Destinations is confirmation that their efforts pay off. Further confirmation is the fact that Paul Svensson is on the list of the world’s 50 most influential chefs in plant-based cooking.

“This is partnership at its best. Our combined expertise is greater than the parts. The team at Nya Carnegiebryggeriet are a joy to work with and we have the same drive, to inspire greater awareness in the world.” All this provides great opportunities to develop new, innovative products that will echo into the future,” says Karl Skoog, CMO at Fotografiska.