4 Pines x Sea Forest - Good Beer that Gives Back - Why Is There Seaweed In My Beer?

A company cultivating solutions to climate change

A brewing company looking to develop a good beer that gives back

Who are these seaweed pioneers?

The Sea Forest team is dedicated to fighting climate change by being the first in the world to cultivate Asparagopsis at a commercial scale.

seaforest.com.au

Who are these pine tree lovers?

4 Pines is a brewery based in the Northern Beaches of Sydney in NSW. The brand was born following a post-surf chat between Jaron and his dad Steve. This was back in ’06. A whole lot has happened since we first opened our microbrewery in Manly, but some things will never change. We continue to make quality, award winning beers that we want to drink and that our mates are proud of. Our commitment to using business as a force for good is as strong today as it was in the beginning, we’re on a continuous journey to Brew Better, considering our people, our planet & our community.

What's an Asparagopsis?

Asparagopsis is a red seaweed native to Australian Coastal waters. Through photosynthesis it captures carbon from the atmosphere which makes up 40% of its biomass. Sea Forest is the first in the world to cultivate Asparagopsis at a commercial scale through both marine and land-based aquaculture.

Why on earth is there seaweed in my beer?

We’ve added Seaweed to this tassie inspired brew in celebration of all the amazing work conducted by Sea Forest and the Sea Forest Foundation. There is about 1kg of Nori added to every brew. We add it on the hot side during the boil to extract salts and sweetness and to impart some umami flavour.

Want to get down with the science?

In response to climate change Sea Forest have developed a methane busting, biotechnology that could help save the world! Using native seaweed ‘Asparagopsis’, Sea Forest have developed a cattle feed supplement, SeaFeedTM. Extensive research has shown that SeaFeedTM when fed daily to cattle at a very low dose, much like taking a vitamin c tablet, prevents the formation of methane in the final stage of digestion and in doing so diverts that energy which would have been expelled as a gas towards making more nutrients available to the animal.

Livestock whose diets contain 0.2% of SeaFeedTM supplement, will have methane reductions of up to 98%. Around 15% of global greenhouse emissions come from livestock production.

So where do I get my hands on it?

So as not to influence a nation wide sushi shortage, we've produced a very limited amount of tins. This brew is here today and there's every chance it'll be gone tomorrow.

You can find it now at Dan Murphy’s and select BWS outlets as well as 4 Pines venues.

Get in while you still can!

Sea Forest has a Foundation?

Sea Forest have teamed up with the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) to create the Sea Forest Foundation, specifically to protect and restore local marine habitats like the giant kelp forests. The kelp forests are a vital part of the Tasmanian marine ecosystem as well as the great southern reef and create underwater forests that are home to hundreds of other unique species.

seaforestfoundation.com.au

What makes this a good beer that gives back?

Ensuring this truly is a Good Beer That Gives Back, through our '1% For the Planet' fund, 4 Pines will be donating funds to support The Sea Forest Foundation,

Due to climate change - specifically, rising sea temperatures, low nutrient conditions and increasing numbers of sea urchins – over 95% of the giant kelp forests in Tasmania have perished. Without intervention, they won’t recover.

The Sea Forest Foundation and IMAS are embarking on the first ever forest-scale kelp restoration project in the southern hemisphere. Together, our goal is to create a natural and self-supporting giant kelp forest in Tasmania.

Methane is produced in the guts of ruminant livestock as a result of enteric fermentation.

Sea Forest’s Asparagopsis feed supplement contains bioactive compounds which prevent methane production in ruminant livestock. This is achieved by competitively inhibiting the enzymatic pathway which produces methane at the last stage of digestion.

Methane has a global warming effect 28 times that of CO2, causing livestock to contribute 16% of global greenhouse emissions.

Animals whose diets contain 0.2% Sea Forest’s supplement will have methane reductions up to 98%.

Sea Forest are in the business of cultivating solutions to climate change, through Asparagopsis seaweed. Livestock produce methane, which contributes 16% of global greenhouse emissions. Animals whose diets contain 0.2% Sea Forest’s seaweed will have

We’ve added nori seaweed to this Tassie inspired brew in celebration of this amazing work.