The beer scene of late is not sticking to the script. We’ve witnessed everything from clear beer styles to kernza grain beer and fruited sours made with rhubarb. Next up, a beer made from quinoa.
Introducing Meli, the first beer of its kind to drop in the U.S. The beer was launched by Samara Oster after three years of trials. Interestingly, she was never really into beer until she tried one brewed partially with quinoa while in Peru. The Harvard and MIT grad collaborated with food scientists to make the new brew.
Fast-forward to spring of 2025 and we have out first domestic beer made entirely from quinoa. It’s a light 4.4% ABV offering and naturally gluten-free. It follows a couple of trends in brewers seeking out alternative grains and also dialin-in their lower-octane beer recipes. This one even has some added health benefits, like 7% of your daily potassium recommended intake, not to mention zero sugar.
Currently the beer is available in and around the Boston area and can also be ordered online. A light and bright sipper, the beer reminds a bit of some of the macro Asian beers in its approachability. Quaffable and summer go hand-in-hand so we imagine this could lead to increased popularity and perhaps even other styles from the label down the road.
If you like beer, be sure to hang out in The Manual’s food and drink section. We’ve got everything from the best non-alcoholic beers to the best summer beers. Cheers to long and mild days.
