Field Notes
Long Root Wit
Patagonia Provisions, the food/beverage line of eco-friendly outdoor wear company Patagonia, was the first major brand to use Kernza® in a widely commercially-available product. Back in 2017, they released Long Root Ale, brewed at Hopworks Urban Brewery in Portland, Oregon. The two companies partnered to release a second Kernza beer, Long Root Wit, in 2019.
The Belgian-style witbier, Long Root Wit, is made with organic ingredients and Kernza® perennial grain, a grain specifically suited for regenerative agriculture thanks to its long roots — up to 10 feet long — and perennial growth cycle. The grain grows well without pesticides and with less water than conventional wheat.