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First Craft Beer Made with Hemp Seeds Goes on Sale April 28 1997
FREDERICK, Md., April 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Frederick Brewing Co. (FBC)
(Nasdaq:
BLUE) has announced the launch of the first-ever U.S. craft beer
brewed with hemp
seeds. Hempen Ale(TM), which was approved by the U.S. Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco
and Firearms (ATF) for distribution, will be made
available to beer distributors on April 28
"From conception to final label approval, we have spent two years
developing
the Hempen Ale brewing process, designing the packaging and
marketing materials
and corresponding with attorneys, the Drug Enforcement
Administration, the Food
and Drug Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco and Firearms,"
said Marjorie A. McGinnis, president of Frederick
Brewing Co. "Now, we can
finally offer consumers, retailers and distributors
this innovative new product."
Hempen Ale is a brown ale brewed with hemp seeds, which do not contain
tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC), the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. The
unique protein spectrum of
the hemp seeds gives the beer a rich, creamy head
and imparts mellow herbal flavors
and aromas.
"We wanted to provide an interesting and tasty alternative in a beer
market
flooded with fruit and spice beers," commented Steven T. Nordahl, vice
president-brewing
operations. "After many pilot brews, we have developed a
formula that captures
the flavors and proteins of the hemp seed without
allowing them to dominate the
character of the ale."
Benefits of Hemp
For millennia, people around the world have prized hemp for its versatility.
Its strong fibers are used to make a variety of products, including paper, cloth
rope and even fuel. Both hemp seeds -- which have a crunchy, nutty flavor -- and
hemp oils are excellent sources of fiber and protein and offer some of the best
sources of essential fatty acids -- vital to the maintenance of the body's immune system.
Because of its nutritional benefits, hemp seeds are now being made into products
such as milk, yogurt, ice cream, tofu, cheese and meat alternatives in much
the same way soybeans have been used for the past two decades.
Source of Hemp Seeds
There is a growing movement in the U.S. to support the cultivation and use
of
industrial hemp because of its economic and environmental benefits and
multiple
commercial uses.
"At this time, however, it is only legal to import sterilized hemp seeds
from
other countries," Nordahl said. "To create the Hempen Ale recipe,
Frederick
Brewing Co. purchases the hemp seeds from the Ohio Hempery, which
purchases them,
through an importer, from Europe and China and processes the
seeds for us."
"American farmers and manufacturers are being denied the opportunity to
grow
and process a valuable crop that can replace many acres of clear-cut
forest lands
and relies much less heavily on petrochemicals than the crops and
products it
would replace," said Kevin Brannon, FBC's chairman and chief
executive officer.
"We support those who are attempting to awaken policy-
makers to the vast
potential of a renewed American hemp industry, and we're
doing our part -- one
beer at a time."
04/01/97 09:55 EST http://www.prnewswire.com
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