simple + green

Would you drink hemp beer?

The question should be: if you like beer, why would you not?

I’ll admit that I picked up a six-pack of Humboldt Brewing Company’s Hemp Ale out of curiosity. Humboldt Brewing Company makes great beer in general, so for me it was just a matter of trying something new.

The judgment: it was good!

But what is the advantage of brewing beer with hemp? One reference I found states that the “unique protein spectrum” of the hemp seeds gives the beer a “rich, creamy head and imparts mellow herbal flavors and aromas”.

To me it just tasted like well-brewed beer. I certainly wasn’t looking for any ‘additional buzz’ in drinking hemp beer. There’s no way the FDA would allow any measurable active ingredients to be anywhere near the bottle.

So it tastes good, promotes the benefits of hemp, and is a fun, quirky thing to bring up when chatting with friends.

But who else, other than Humboldt, makes this type of beer?

Although I’ve also found mention of several from Switzerland (Hanfblüte!), Australia and Austria (heavy concentration in Europe!), I’m not seeing any other US producers of the hemp beer.

OK. Well maybe this isn’t as much of a new direction in beer brewing as a curiosity. A good-tasting one, but still just a curiosity.

For reference: I spotted an article in Time magazine’s archive on hemp beer. Keep in mind that this is from 5 years ago, which from what I can tell, predates US production.

The classic, if expected quote:

But does drinking hemp beer make you high? “No,” says Buddy Piper, whose Amsterdam shop, Nirvana, sells its own hemp brew. “But it definitely can make you drunk.

Bottom line: if you like beer, try a bottle or six-pack next time you see one available (Whole Foods is a safe bet).