At its heart, whiskey is an agricultural product, made from grains like barley, corn, rye and wheat. But the way these crops are currently grown can take an ecological toll: Multiple studies have found that half of the nitrogen fertilizer applied to cropland is lost to the ecosystem. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the resulting nutrient pollution is one of America’s most widespread and costly environmental problems, degrading water and land quality. And that chemical pollution is just the tip of the iceberg.
The traditional monoculture system in which these grains are farmed often leads to soil erosion and degradation, the release of carbon from the soil into the atmosphere and over-depletion of dangerously dwindling groundwater resources—a grave issue across the nation that was recently investigated in a months-long examination by the New York Times. The report found that “many of the aquifers that supply 90% of the nation’s water systems…are being severely depleted.” A separate study, published in Earth’s Future in 2021, further claims that to maintain sustainability, the water used to irrigate corn and winter wheat may need to be cut back by as much as 45%.
Whiskey production may represent just a drop in this unsustainable grain bucket, but with around 30,000 cases produced in the U.S. per year, those deleterious effects certainly add up. Is it possible to green the production of whiskey in a meaningful way that moves the needle?
A handful of craft distillers believe answers could be found with Kernza, a sustainable grain with a distinctive flavor. But what’s really possible, and are there downsides? We investigate.
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First Things First: What Is Kernza?
Kernza is a distant cousin of wheat and a domesticated version of intermediate wheatgrass, which is a wild plant native to Europe and Western Asia. The Land Institute, the Kansas-based research organization that trademarked Kernza, is domesticating the grain by selectively breeding generations of plants to increase crop yields, seed size and disease resistance, which could ostensibly make it a practical crop for farmers around the world. The hope is to use Kernza in products like baked goods, processed foods, beer and spirits.
Unlike annual crops such as corn, wheat and barley, Kernza is a perennial grain, meaning it grows back every year. Perennial crops are beneficial to the environment because they better protect soil from erosion, sequester more carbon than annual crops and are thought to be more drought-tolerant, oftentimes requiring less irrigation. Perennial crops also reduce the amount of nitrogen from fertilizer or organic matter that leaches into the soil.
“In Minnesota, intermediate wheatgrass [Kernza] has even been found to efficiently scavenge nitrate from groundwater, highlighting its potential to protect water quality,” Peter Kleinman, soil scientist and research leader at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Resource Service says in an interview for the USDA’s Under the Microscope.
The agency has been studying Kernza as a potential alternative, or more likely, addition, to common annual grains due to the benefits it provides as a perennial crop. Though Kleiman sees possibilities for expansion, he says it is “unlikely to completely replace grain crops such as wheat or barley.”
In terms of growth, Kernza shares the most similarities with winter wheat, another cool season grain. It is often planted in late summer and early fall, then harvested in the warmer months. A field of Kernza resembles prairie grass, but each stalk is topped with a cluster of grains. Those seed heads are 25 to 50% smaller than the size of wheat berries and yield about one-third of what conventional wheat does. This is why it’s still a niche crop, with only about 4,000 acres grown commercially in the U.S. compared to the more than 37 million acres of cultivated wheat. Kernza fields are primarily located in the Upper Midwest, Central Plains and Intermountain West, with Kansas, Minnesota and Montana.
“It’s a unique, nutty grain,” says Tammy Kimbler, chief communications officer for The Land Institute. “It’s its own grain—it doesn’t taste like anything else.”
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An Environmental Benefit
The main appeal of Kernza is its benefits to water and soil health. “It holds soil together with a deep root system,” claims Kimbler. “It sequesters carbon in the soil, which is something you’re more used to hearing about with forests.”
That’s because Kernza roots can be over 10 feet long, compared to wheat roots, which have an average length of three feet. Kernza also more easily draws up moisture with its long roots, which allow easier access to the water table and less need for inefficient irrigation. In addition, Kernza can take advantage of precipitation during extreme weather events, since those deep roots can prevent soil from washing away. Kernza can even utilize nitrogen fertilizer runoff, which helps maintain water quality in nearby rivers. “Kernza takes about 90% of the nitrogen runoff and uses it, while wheat takes 40% and corn takes 45%,” says Kimber.
Early adopters of the grain say it has much promise. One is Greg Lancette, the master distiller and owner of Minnesota-based Revive Distilling. “Grains like corn and barley, [which are] more normal mash bill-type grains, take a lot of water to produce,” he says. “They’re not very drought tolerant, and they’re becoming harder to grow as the heat gets more intense. I believe perennial crops are the future of grain production.”
A New Flavor
It’s difficult to make direct comparisons, flavor-wise, between Kernza and other grains. That’s because devotees say it’s genuinely unique. Though it packs sweet notes, Kernza is less sweet than most bourbons, says Stan Von Strohe, the owner and operator of Kansas-based Smoky Valley Distillery, which released its Kernza whiskey this year. It also delivers spiced notes, he says, but not as strong as most ryes.
Meanwhile, Jon Kreidler, founder and chief officer of Wisconsin-based Tattersall Distilling, describes the distillery’s newly-debuted 100% Kernza whiskey as having “a subtle nuttiness” with “almost brandy notes.”
“You get the recognizable rye spiciness, and you also get some of the softness on the palate you’d expect from a wheat whiskey,” continues Henry Tarmy, co-founder and CEO of California distillery Ventura Spirits, which produces an eight-month-aged Kernza whiskey. “Then you have some flavor elements unique to Kernza—it’s a little bit grassy and surprisingly sweet and floral as well.”
Chris Anderson-Tarver, head distiller of Denver Distillery, says the flavor is a major selling point. Denvery Distillery is currently aging a Kernza whiskey that he hopes will be ready by next summer. “We felt there was a nice middle ground Kernza offered,” he says. “It’s not as delicate as wheat distillate, but it’s not as strong as rye. We’re excited to see what [the aged whiskey] offers in terms of flavors.”
The Challenges Facing Kernza Whiskey
But Kernza isn’t a magic bullet for sustainable whiskey. Not only can it be difficult to source, Kernza can be “ridiculously expensive,” says Von Strohe. For example, a 50-pound bag of whole-grain Kernza costs $200 from Minnesota-based startup Perennial Pantry. In comparison, the same quantity of wheat berries from Michigan retailer Country Life runs $50.
To combat price issues, many distilleries choose to blend Kernza with other grains. Mash bills vary based on the distillery: For instance, Ventura Spirits uses 50% Kernza and approximately 40% rye, with the balance being malted barley. Revive Distilling’s majority-Kernza mash bill also includes millet, sorghum and oats, while Smoky Valley Distillery leans on a blend of Kernza and corn.
Prices aside, Kernza can also be difficult to mill. Kernza grains are about one-fourth to one-half the size of wheat, with a high protein content that often makes the mash dense. Altogether, this makes Kernza more challenging to work with than traditional grains.
For all these reasons, it certainly seems inevitable that Kernza whiskey will largely be more expensive than traditional whiskies. For example, the 100% Kernza whiskey from Tattersall Distilling has a suggested retail price of $80. The operation’s straight rye whiskey costs less than half that at about $35.
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Looking Forward
Despite these challenges, many producers feel Kernza’s potential environmental benefits make it worthy of investment. “There’s a really important role to be played by businesses like ours to get it out there and create a market for it,” says Ventura Spirits CEO and co-founder Henry Tarmy.
The hope is that as producer and consumer demand for Kernza products increases, more farmers will be compelled to grow the crop, which in turn might increase supply and decrease cost. At the same time, distillers would ostensibly hone their techniques for working with the grain.
“The first day was tough,” admits Anderson-Tarver of his experience with Kernza. He had few peers with whom to compare notes, and not much in the way of books to consult on how to handle the twists and turns the grain threw him. “But it successively got easier,” he says—and faster than expected. After producing six rounds of Kernza mash, Anderson-Tarver is confident he’s got a good thing going. It bodes well for the future. “We feel like we have it down pat,” he says.
Published: November 20, 2023
