Skip to main content

Eat Beer on Your Next Hike With a ReGrained Granola Bar

regrained bars
ReGrained/Facebook
Six billion gallons of beer are brewed annually in the U.S. From that process, 36 billion pounds of grain are left over. Some of it goes to farms to make fertilizer, but a lot of it goes straight to the dump. What if we could turn it into food for us?

ReGrained, a small company from San Francisco, is working on a way to turn that waste into food — and a delicious one at that.

Related Videos

Founders Jordan Schwartz and Dan Kurzrock started making beer in their college dorm rooms. For every batch they made, they threw out 15 to 20 pounds of an oatmeal-like soup that is thick, hot, and unstable. At first glance, there was nothing they could easily do with it.

Then they found out that some home brewers grind up the leftover grains into a flour and make things like bread. Keen to take advantage of any way that could fund their next brew, they started making and selling bread to fellow students.

Not content with just a few loaves of bread each week, they wanted to take their dorm room operation to the next level. They needed something that could be made faster and in higher quantities. Granola bars fit that model well.

regrained
ReGrained/Facebook ReGrained/Facebook

Flash-forward to today, and their company ReGrained sells three flavors of beer-inspired bars online, at events, and in an increasing number of retailers across the U.S. Bars like Chocolate Coffee StoutHoney Cinnamon IPA, and Blueberry Sunflower Saison are just the beginning for ReGrained. Once they’ve scaled up production, the brand will be making enough beer grain flour to partner with bigger companies to make other great snacks. And, to help brewers turn their own beer byproduct into a food-safe ingredient, ReGrained is working to patent and licence their grain-drying technology.

But Schwartz and Kurzrock wanted to do more than just save the grains. One of the company’s non-negotiable values is to reduce waste in all areas — they want their wrappers to skip the garbage as well. Working with the Agricultural Research Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, they’ve developed compostable packaging. The two layers — one derived from a sustainably harvested wood fiber and the other a synthetic option that breaks down naturally — create a wrapper that will keep your food fresh but won’t sit in the landfill for centuries.

Drink beer, eat good food, and save the environment. Not a bad way to spend your time. Or, in the words, of the ReGrained mantra: “Brew Good. Bake Good. Do Good.”

Feature image courtesy of ReGrained/Facebook.

Editors' Recommendations

These terrific mocktails are perfect for Dry January
Giving your liver a break doesn't have to mean skimping on flavor
5 new mocktails mojito recipe 2

January is a time when some people like to take a month off from drinking to let their livers relax a little. After a holiday season packed with parties, office gatherings, and family get-togethers, a break from the booze makes sense. To make it through any of these festivities, a good, stiff drink is often necessary. The problem is that that drink quickly becomes two. Then there’s a few casual beers, a glass of champagne for the toast, and pretty soon you’re throwing up on your boss' shoes. Come January, our bodies need a break. Cue the mocktails.

If you've been living under a rock, a mocktail is a mixed drink that feels celebratory and special, but doesn't contain any alcohol. They're wonderful for those post-holiday get-togethers when your body needs to mend, for people who don't drink, and for parties with guests of all ages. These are a few of our favorites.
Coconut Cream Mocktini

Read more
Move over, Mary: Bloody Maria is the best hangover drink there is
Ease that hangover and upgrade your cocktail game at the same time with the help of your new friend, Maria
bloody maria hangover drink recipe mexican small 2

It's a brand new year, and while that comes with a glittering heap of possibility and optimism, for some of us, it can also ring in a slightly shaky, headachy morning. If what you really need to get your year started right is a little hair of the dog, we feel you. We've been there. And we've got you covered.

Sure, a Bloody Mary is the typical choice in this crisis — it's flavorful, passable as a breakfast (or at least brunch) beverage, and does the job just fine. But if you stop to consider the spicy, savory, warm flavor profile of the drink's ingredients, cool and calm vodka doesn't really make a lot of sense. Vodka certainly has its place, but not in this cocktail. Tequila is a much better fit in the peppery, sweet heat of this tomato juice drink.

Read more
5 festive mocktails for a sober New Year’s Eve
Going sober this New Year's Eve doesn't have to be boring with these delicious drinks
new years eve mocktail recipes

It's an odd thing to think of something like sobriety as "trendy" because for some, it's so much more than that. For some, sobriety is survival. For others, those for whom addiction is not an ever-present monster, the sober movement that's been getting bigger and louder in recent years is simply a healthier, safer, occasional alternative to drinking alcohol. Where celebratory or even regular drunkenness was once the accepted norm, we're starting to see a shift. Sober celebrities like Matthew Perry, Dax Shepard, and Chrissy Teigen have started to stir things up by speaking out against the dangers of regular intoxication and potential addiction. It even became normal for stressed-out moms to have their drunken day in the sun, parading their daily bottles of chardonnay loudly and proudly with everything from T-shirts to kitschy home decor. Now, even those things are becoming more taboo.
Through the increased popularity of mocktails and sober bars popping up in big cities, sobriety is becoming more mainstream, and we're here for it. Even if addiction isn't your burden, moderation is the key to a healthy lifestyle.
Whether you've chosen sobriety for the day, the month, or a lifetime, these are some of the most delicious mocktails you can mix up on the night of the big ball drop. Going alcohol-free doesn't mean you have to be stuck with that boring old bottle of sparkling apple cider. New Year's Eve drinks can have all the fun, festive flavor sans the booze. These are a few of our favorite nonalcoholic drinks to help you ring in the new year in sober style.

Fruity Pomegranate Mocktail

Read more