Lowlander Beer | Christmas tree to table
Christmas tree to table by Lowlander Beer
Christmas tree to table by Lowlander Beer
Some Christmas trees in the Netherlands will end up in beer! From 2 January, the botanical brewer has collected unwanted Christmas trees from Dutch consumers, bars and restaurants to transform them into bottles of its 2019 Winter IPA. Chief Botanical Officer Frederik Kampman: “Every December, about 2.5 million real trees bring Christmas spirit into our homes. By New Year, most of these end up in the chipper, on bonfires or piled at the roadside. We have found another use for them: in beer.”
From tree to tipple
The folks at Lowlander Beer went against the grain more than ever this winter by creating a light, refreshing brew for cold, wintry days instead of a typical dark, heavy beer. For that first batch of Winter IPA, the botanical brewery bought the spruce needles from its usual supplier, but in 2019 Lowlander wants to give the beer its subtle flavour using needles from donated Christmas trees. At least six hundred kilos of needles are needed to produce the 2019 batch of Winter IPA.
In order to collect enough trees, Lowlander didn’t just going door to door. Big hitters such as event venue RAI, the Amsterdam botanical gardens and several restaurants joined their mission to re-use the country’s leftover Christmas trees; they donated their trees to Lowlander after the festive period. Although only the needles are needed for Lowlander’s Winter IPA, the brewery intends to re-use every piece of every donated tree in limited-edition products that include gift sets and bottles of a new creation currently bubbling away in its brew kettle: Lowlander Botanical Brut, a limited-edition sparkling beer made with spruce and Champagne yeast.
The Lowlander Christmas tree to table campaign
To make the collection, processing and re-use of all these trees possible, after Christmas Lowlander launched its ‘Tree to Table’ crowdfunding campaign. Kampman: “We will collect the trees ourselves to make it super easy for anyone wanting to donate after Christmas. Straight after collection we need to preserve the quality of the needles so that we can make beer from them. The remains of the trees also need to be turned into the elements of the Tree to Table Botanical Brewkitchen dinners that we’ve got planned – to make this happen we need to pay experts who can turn the leftover trees into, for example, delicious cheeses and smoking chips. By crowdfunding the Tree to Table process we will give the Lowlander community a stake in the project – and the chance to be among the first to experience everything we produce.” Through the crowdfunding project, new products such as Lowlander Botanical Brut and the Winter IPA gift set will be available for advance purchase, as will tickets for the Tree to Table series of pop-up dinners. Lowlander Beer’s Winter IPA (5%) is brewed with spruce needles and juniper berries. A refreshing White IPA with hoppy tones and a resinous citrus kick.
Check out this video about their initiative:
About Lowlander Beer
Lowlander Beer is an award-winning brewery from the Netherlands – literally the Low Lands. Each of its botanically brewed beers has a unique story and a unique flavour. Lowlander’s ‘Chief Botanical Officer’, Frederik Kampman, worked for years in breweries and gin and genever distilleries in both the Netherlands and abroad. ‘As soon as I got into the world of distilling I was gripped by the number of herbs and spices used. As a beer lover, I started to wonder what these botanicals could add to beer.’ And so the idea for Lowlander Beer was born: beer brewed with botanicals.
Since it was founded in 2016, Lowlander Beer has garnered acclaim from both industry insiders and discerning consumers. In 2016, Lowlander won three medals and the Overall Supreme Trophy at the International Beer Challenge in London, and earned itself five stars in the highly respected Difford’s Guide. In 2017, Lowlander won silver in the Best Dutch Witbier category at the Dutch Beer Challenge. At the 2018 World Beer Awards, four Lowlander beers received awards. Most recently, Lowlander Beer won Best Label of The Lowlands.
Website: Lowlander Beer
