Two Brooklyn businesses & Food Bank for NYC partner to debut new beer from rescued bread
NEW YORK - September is Hunger Action Month, and two Brooklyn businesses partnered with Food Bank for NYC to raise awareness about food waste.
Three's Brewing in Gowanus is crafting a creative solution to what they call a prevailing problem.
"The idea was to take something that was stale, which is bread in this case, and transform it into something that tastes fresh," says Head Brewer Matt Levy.
The limited-edition beer, aptly named "Food for Thought," is made of around 50 pounds of rescued unsold bread from nearby bakery Runner and Stone, which would have otherwise been composted.
"Out of all the waste that comes out of New York City, about 30 percent of that waste includes food products," says Jillian Lubarsky from Food Bank for NYC.
The bread was brewed for about six weeks and turned into a foamy, fall-inspired, rye lager.
"It has these interesting, like, orange marmalade notes that come through. It's crisp, it's refreshing," Levy says. "It has a slight kind of bread crust, toasted baguette note."
Food Bank for NYC says they annually rescue about 11 million pounds of food from the trash, and the beer project was meant to start a conversation in the hopes of finding a solution.
"We are really feeling the pinch with inflation rates, food prices, rent hikes, and also food insecurity. One-point-six million New Yorkers are relying on food banks in New York and food pantries and soup kitchens right now," Lubarsky told CBS2's Hannah Kliger.
The nonprofit will be getting a portion of every sale to continue to fund their work.
"One dollar provides five meals, and that's a lot, and that makes a big difference," Lubarsky adds.
Canned, craft or draft, they hope hops lovers will enjoy not just the malt, but also the message.
They will be hosting a tasting and benefit for Food Bank for NYC on Sept. 13.
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