Minnesota’s Tattersall Distilling recently launched its Kernza Perennial Grain Whiskey, distilled from 100% Kernza grain.
A statement from the whiskey maker notes that this release took more than three years to come to life and was made in collaboration with the University of Minnesota’s Forever Green Initiative and The Land Institute.
Tattersall’s new whiskey is among only a few Kernza-based spirits available in the U.S.
The distillery plans for the sustainable spirit to hit shelves in time for Earth Day.
“There is a massive community of people that have been working for a very long time to bring perennial grains such as Kernza to a commercially viable state, and they are making massive strides every year,” said Jon Kreidler, founder and chief officer of Tattersall Distilling.
“We were fortunate enough to be brought into the folds by the Forever Green Initiative and jumped at the opportunity to get involved,” he added. “We had no idea how truly unique a Kernza whiskey would turn out, but we can’t wait for people to try it. Hopefully, it will lead to more experimentation across the industry with this game-changing grain.”
Being a perennial grain, Kreidler said, Kernza doesn’t need to be replanted each year, which improves soil health, water quality and draws carbon out of the atmosphere. Kernza’s deep root system also helps dealing with droughts.
Kreidler explained that Tattersall’s distillery features one of the largest solar arrays of any distillery in the country, and a water reclamation system that decreases water usage in signature spirits by more than 40 percent.
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“Perennial grains like Kernza have a place in our glasses and on our farms,” said Tessa Peters, director of crop stewardship at The Land Institute. “The true power of perennial grain agriculture to help regenerate our soil, water, and climate will only be realized when grown at scale by farmers and utilized by sustainably minded producers like Tattersall Distilling.”
As for the whiskey itself, Tattersall’s Kernza Perennial Grain is aged for three years in virgin charred oak casks. The whiskey has notes of red fruits, grapes and a nutty undertone.
Kernza Perennial Grain Whiskey clocks in at 90% ABV and has a suggested retail price of $80 per 750mL bottle. It will be available in limited quantities in select retail stores this Earth Day, April 22nd. It’s currently available for pre-order nationally.
For more information, check out www.tattersalldistilling.com.
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