Powdered beer is an option for the legendary drink facing increasing production and preservation challenges.
The solution? Turn it into powder
The environmental impact of the brewing industry is considerable. Billions of liters of water are transported globally to consumers, a logical fact considering that beer is composed of up to 90% water.
As this gigantic industrial sector seeks to become more ecological, an alternative to reduce its carbon footprint gains strength: removing water from the equation, at least temporarily.
A company in Germany is developing what would be the world’s first powdered beer. This manufacturing method, designed to compress it to its maximum expression, would allow saving costs and resources during the manufacturing process, in addition to reducing shipping weight by almost 90%.
The big question is: Does it maintain a good taste?
After two years of research, with financial support from BMW and the Federal Ministry of Economics of Germany, the brewery [Klosterbrauerei Neuzelle](https://www.instagram.com/klosterbrauerei_neuzelle/) has developed a powdered beer that was introduced to the market in late 2023.
It comes in a sachet, similar to soluble cocoa, and the company has named it “drier beer.”
What sets it apart from other powdered beers launched in previous years is that this version contains alcohol and is carbonated. “It is the world’s first complete beer in powder form and could change the world,” explained Stefan Fritsche, managing director of the brewery.
How does it work?
The concept is remarkably simple: add the powder to water, stir a couple of times, and the beer is ready. The vision for the future is for the powder to be produced in large factories and distributed to [local water bottlers](https://noticiasambientales.com/compromiso-ambiental/este-algodon-made-in-spain-se-cultiva-sin-tierra-y-con-un-ahorro-del-75-de-agua/). These bottlers could then mix it with water, bottle it, and market it locally as finished beer.
According to the company, the base is a beverage rich in dextrin that is processed and converted into a water-soluble powder.
Dextrins, which are products of starch breakdown formed by several sugar molecules, are a natural component of beer. Before consumption, the powder must be mixed with carbonated water or, in exceptional situations, with [tap water](https://noticiasambientales.com/medio-ambiente/crisis-hidrica-en-afganistan-kabul-podria-convertirse-en-la-primera-ciudad-moderna-en-quedarse-sin-agua/).
Taste, a crucial factor
What does it taste like? According to its creators, it tastes like beer, with its corresponding alcohol content, carbon dioxide, and a layer of foam. Klosterbrauerei Neuzelle ensures that the first tastings of the drink prepared with the powder have been promising.
A reporter from the regional newspaper *Märkische Oderzeitung* described it as follows: “It tastes a bit like malt.”
Furthermore, this process could be applied to any type of beer: dark, light, pale ale, etc. This means that in the future, breweries could acquire these powder packets to prepare the drinks they serve to their customers.
Why develop this alternative?
The main reason is logistics: a powder packet represents approximately 10% of the content of a bottle, significantly reducing delivery and shipping costs. “The time has come to test classic beer production and logistics in view of how we treat our environment,” the company points out.
Additionally, factors such as the energy crisis, inflation, and glass scarcity, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, have imposed numerous difficulties on this market.
“We have calculated that, regarding Germany, we can save between 3 and 5% of CO2 emissions just for Germany.
And if you look at it globally, that would be about half of the CO2 emissions worldwide that we could reduce,” explained the authors of the idea.
However, this solution is not for everyone. It makes no sense to import glass bottles, fill them with German water, and then send the beer to Africa or China.
According to its creators, it would only be a viable option for brewers supplying distant markets.
Predominantly small and medium-sized local-focused brewers would continue to produce and bottle their beer conventionally.
Beyond agriculture and refrigeration, a large part of the emissions from this industry comes from transporting barrels and other bulky containers through an environmentally unfriendly infrastructure. For this reason, beer manufacturers are actively exploring new packaging technologies to reduce the weight of shipments, such as concentrating the beverage, as is the case with powdered beer.
