Mushroom beer? California’s Eden’s Harvest releases chaga mushroom craft beer

Eden’s Harvest recently announced the release of the first two offerings in its line of functional mushroom craft beers — Six-Mushroom IPA (8.8% ABV) and Passion Fruit Wheat Ale (4.9% ABV). According to the Calabasas, California-based craft brewery, these are the world’s first alcoholic brews featuring liquid extracts of single-source, sustainably harvested chaga from boreal forest birch trees in Alaska.

“What makes Eden’s Harvest’s beers so good, starts with the source of these mighty fungi,” said Tulsy Ball, Chief Chaga Officer of Eden’s Harvest. “Our Chaga mushrooms are wild-harvested from Alaska, through exclusive relationships with the native Inuit who harvest them traditionally, so they have nutrients that cannot be found in mycelium grown on grain in a lab. All of our other mushrooms like lion’s mane, reishi and turkey tail are log-grown fruiting bodies, which means they have the highest possible potency.”

Eden’s Harvest Brewmaster Chris Anderson started brewing in 1998 at Midnight Sun Brewing in Alaska and has won over 400 medals and ribbons in competitions around the world, including 7 gold medal winners and Best in Show at America’s Finest City Beer.

Chaga mushrooms (Inonotus obliquus) have been used for centuries in traditional medicine particularly in Siberia and other parts of Asia and are known for their potential health benefits due to their rich nutrient content and bioactive compounds. Some of the benefits attributed to Chaga mushrooms include improved liver function, skin and cardiovascular health, along with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and blood sugar regulation effects. Some studies even suggest Chaga may have anti-cancer properties.*

Eden’s Harvest has crafted the only beers that incorporate Chaga and other mushrooms, during both the initial brewing process, but also infuses them during fermentation. They start right at the beginning with premium quality raw mushrooms during the first stage of brewing. Other brewers may have added chunks of chaga or extract powder during the brew or while aging, but none have Eden’s Harvest’s proprietary 5-stage liquid extract infused during the entire fermentation and aging period. This process utilizes pressure and varying temperatures and solvents to generate an ethanol-free, full spectrum liquid extract which has the highest level of nutrients. Because the liquid extract is naturally sweet, it reduces any bitterness in the beer, improves the flavor and eliminates aftertaste. The high antioxidant levels from Chaga help activate your liver, thus also helping to relieve hangover symptoms before they even start. One 12 oz. Eden’s Harvest Beer has the equivalent antioxidant power of eating 6 lbs of blueberries.

Addressing booming markets in both craft beer (expected to hit $200 billion globally this year) and alternative, innovative wellness beverages, Eden’s Harvest’s beers will initially be available direct from the brewery to restaurants and stores in California in the second quarter of 2024, with distribution expanding rapidly across the country throughout 2024. Additional alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic beers, hard seltzer beverages and other adaptogen-powered drinks are coming soon.

“At Eden’s Harvest, we pride ourselves on our commitment to authenticity and innovation,” said Joe Wallace, Founder of Eden’s Harvest. “With a passion for crafting unique brews, we are embarking on a journey to unearth nature’s treasures and to discover the untamed power of Chaga mushrooms. By embracing these mighty functional fungi, we are unveiling a new dimension of flavor and potential health benefits that will attract Gen-Z and in the future Generation Alpha consumers and disrupt the beer category. Young people are focused on improving their health and Eden’s Harvest will satisfy that craving and redefine the craft brew sector as we know it.”