Frederick Brewing Company (FBC) of Maryland announced that it has gained federal approval to distribute the first-ever U.S. craft beer brewed with hemp seeds. The beer, which will be marketed under the name Hempen Ale, will be made available for distribution on April 28 in 23 states and Washington, D.C.
“American farmers and manufacturers are being denied the opportunity to grow and process a valuable crop that can replace many acres of clear-cut forest lands and relies much less heavily on petrochemicals than the crops and products it would replace,” said Kevin Brannon, FBC’s chairman and chief executive officer. “We support those who are attempting to awaken policymakers to the vast potential of a renewed American hemp industry, and we’re doing our part — one beer at a time.”
Hemp seeds do not contain psychoactive qualities and are sometimes used in cooking for their nutritional benefits. Hemp seeds contain 25 percent high quality protein and 40 percent fat in the form of an excellent quality oil. According to physician and best-selling author, Dr. Andrew Weil of the University of Arizona College of Medicine, many of the compounds found in hemp seed oil are exceptionally “beneficial to health.”
Beer brewed with hemp seeds is already available in parts of Europe.
For more information on hemp seed nutrition, please contact NORML board member Don Wirthshafter of The Ohio Hempery at (614) 662-4367.