For more than a decade, craft brewers have searched the world for new ingredients that deliver flavor, story, and purpose. Today, one of the most promising brewing grains doesn’t come from Europe’s famed malting regions or America’s barley belts. It comes from the Sahel — a rugged, arid stretch of West Africa where a tiny ancient cereal called fonio has been cultivated for over 5,000 years.
In just the past two years, fonio has quietly moved from obscurity into the hands of some of the world’s most respected brewers. From Russian River, Brooklyn Brewery, Fair State Brewing Cooperative in the U.S. to Brewgooder in Scotland and Guinness in Ireland, fonio is proving it offers something rare: a brewing ingredient that improves flavor and performance while generating real economic impact at origin.
As North American brewers look for new ways to differentiate their beer, reduce their environmental footprint, and connect with drinkers who value purposeful products, fonio is emerging as the next great grain worth paying attention to.
In this article, we break down:
- How brewers are using fonio today
- What makes fonio uniquely suited to modern brewing
- Why demand for sustainable, ethically sourced grains is rising
- How Terra Ingredients’ supply chain in Guinea is changing lives for thousands of farmers
- And what this means for U.S. brewers looking to experiment with fonio in 2026 and beyond
The Rise of Fonio in Modern Brewing
Until recently, very few American brewers had even heard of fonio. That changed quickly when respected voices in craft beer began experimenting with the grain and sharing their early results.
In a recent Craft Beer & Brewing podcast, Vinnie Cilurzo, Co-Owner & Brewmaster of Russian River, described fonio as remarkably easy to incorporate into the brewhouse:
“Fonio comes all ready to use — pre-gelatinized, just dump it into your mash. It contributes unique fruity notes… I could see us using it in all kinds of beers.”
In the same episode of CB&B, Garrett Oliver, Brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery, highlighted its agronomic strength:
“Because fonio requires no irrigation or fertilizers, it makes land that’s been considered non-arable productive. There’s huge upside potential.”
Brewers across the U.S. and Europe have echoed their enthusiasm—and each one has found that fonio delivers both flavor advantages and meaningful storytelling opportunities.
Real-World Brewing Results
Brewers who have released fonio beers include:
- Brooklyn Brewery (NY) – Fonio Rising Double Pilsner
- Fonio Rising is a bright, modern Double Pilsner brewed with fonio to enhance body and introduce subtle tropical grain notes while maintaining a crisp, refreshing finish. Created as part of Brooklyn Brewery’s Brewing for Impact initiative, it demonstrates how fonio can elevate clean, lager-focused styles without compromising balance or drinkability. As one of the earliest fonio-forward lagers in the U.S., it helped showcase the grain’s versatility well beyond farmhouse and hop-driven beers.
- Brewgooder (Scotland) – Fonio Session IPA
- The world’s first Fairtrade Certified fonio beer, Brewgooder’s Fonio Session IPA, represents a landmark achievement in sustainable brewing — and marked the debut of Terra’s Fairtrade fonio supply chain in Guinea. The beer delivers bright, refreshing citrus and tropical notes with a surprisingly full mouthfeel, thanks to fonio’s unique contribution to body and flavor. Brewgooder brewed this beer not only to showcase a new ingredient, but to create direct, traceable impact in West African farming communities. Its national rollout across the U.K. (including British Airways service) brought fonio to tens of thousands of new drinkers and cemented it as a grain with both purpose and broad commercial viability.
- Fair State Brewing Cooperative (MN) – Fonio Krush IPA
- Fair State introduced fonio to Minnesota drinkers through Fonio Krush, a bright, highly drinkable Cold IPA brewed with Krush hops and a significant portion of fonio. The grain lifts the beer’s body while keeping the finish crisp, allowing the hop character to shine through cleanly with notes of citrus zest and stone fruit. The release was paired with a collaborative “Foning It In” Pizza from Farina Rossa, which incorporated fonio into the dough for added texture and flavor. Together, the beer-and-pizza pairing served as one of the most creative and approachable introductions of fonio in the U.S. craft scene — a local showcase of global flavor and sustainable sourcing.
- Russian River Brewing (CA) – Fonio Blonde
- Russian River — known for some of the most technically precise beers in the world — brewed their first fonio beer as a Belgian-style blonde ale. The result revealed a clean, refined expression of the grain: fruity esters, gentle spice, bready malt character, and a slightly bitter finish. Reviewers highlighted how seamlessly fonio integrated into the brew, enhancing mouthfeel and delivering delicate notes reminiscent of lychee, pear, and soft tropical fruit. For many brewers, Russian River’s successful trial was a significant proof point: if fonio met Russian River’s exacting standards, it could meet the standards of any brewery in America.
- Surly (MN) – Fonio Fest Bier
- Surly’s Fonio Fest Bier puts a modern spin on the classic German Festbier by incorporating fonio into the grist, adding gentle silkiness and subtle tropical-nutty notes to the style’s traditional malt-forward balance. Despite the innovative ingredient choice, it maintains the clarity, crispness, and drinkability expected from a Festbier. As one of the first major U.S. craft breweries to brew a fonio seasonal, Surly helped demonstrate how well the grain performs in lager-focused styles.
- Guinness x Brooklyn Brewery – Fonio Stout
- This limited-edition stout blends Guinness’ classic roasted character with fonio’s subtle tropical and grain-forward notes, created as part of the Brewing for Impact campaign led by Garrett Oliver. Released exclusively in New York, Northern New Jersey, and at Guinness’ Open Gate Breweries in Chicago and Baltimore, it highlights fonio’s versatility in darker beer styles while celebrating West African heritage and Irish brewing tradition. The collaboration brought fonio into one of the world’s most recognizable stout portfolios, introducing the grain to new audiences through a focused regional launch.
- Creature Comforts Brewing Co. (GA) – Brew For One Fonio Lager
Creature Comforts brewed this crisp, easy-drinking fonio lager as part of its annual Brew For One initiative, which supports a selected individual in need each year. The beer introduces fonio through a clean, refreshing profile that resonates with a broad audience, making it the first exposure to the grain for many craft beer drinkers in the Southeastern U.S.
- Kiitos Brewing (UT) – 100% Fonio Lager
- Kiitos made U.S. brewing history with the nation’s first beer brewed from a 100% fonio grist, showcasing the grain’s ability to stand entirely on its own in a delicate, refreshing lager. According to the brewery, the mash lautered smoothly using their mash press system, producing a clean beer with subtle tropical fruit aromatics like lychee, white peach, and passionfruit. The release demonstrates fonio’s full brewing potential and was available exclusively at their Salt Lake City taproom.
These examples collectively demonstrate just how versatile fonio can be: from 10–20% adjunct additions in hop-forward ales to full 100% grist experiments that challenge conventional thinking about what a brewing grain can be. Even more exciting, nearly all of these breweries reported that fonio required minimal recipe adjustment and worked exceptionally well in the mash, even for first-time users.
What Makes Fonio a Standout Brewing Grain
Beyond its story and origin, brewers are choosing fonio because it simply performs in the brewhouse.
1. It requires no milling — ever
Fonio is naturally tiny and pre-gelatinized, meaning brewers can add it directly to the mash without modifications.
This is a significant advantage over adjunct grains, which require milling, cereal cooking, or special handling. The simplicity alone lowers the barrier to entry for brewers experimenting with new ingredients.
2. It dissolves seamlessly into the mash
As Alan Mahon of Brewgooder noted:
“We noticed that with how fine a grain fonio is, it completely dissolves in the boil. It gives off all its sugar… offering a fuller mouthfeel similar to maltodextrin.”
This ability to enhance body without heaviness is especially attractive for styles like:
- Session IPAs
- Cold IPAs
- West Coast Pilsners
- Pale Lagers
- Belgian and farmhouse ales
3. It contributes a subtle, fruity, refreshing flavor
Brewers describe fonio’s sensory impact as:
- Silky mouthfeel
- Notes of lychee, mango, and gooseberry
- Occasional hints reminiscent of Gewürztraminer or Sauvignon Blanc
These qualities allow fonio to support hop-forward styles while adding its own delicate character.
4. It aligns with consumer interest in gluten-free and ancient grains
Fonio is naturally gluten-free, high in micronutrients, and among the oldest cultivated grains on Earth. Even when used at low levels in beer, it allows brewers to market both the sustainability and heritage aspects of the grain.
5. It brings sustainability into every brew
Fonio is one of the most climate-resilient grains on the planet. It requires:
- No irrigation
- No chemical fertilizers
- No pesticides
- Very little water
It thrives in dry, low-input soils where other grains cannot survive — making it a standout for breweries looking to lower their environmental footprint.
Where Brewing Meets Impact: Terra’s Work in Guinea
For brewers, fonio is an exciting ingredient. For farming communities in Guinea, fonio is far more than a crop: a pathway to economic dignity, gender equity, and village-level development.
Terra Ingredients began building its Guinea fonio supply chain in late 2023 and accelerated its growth in 2024 through Fairtrade certification efforts supported by local farmer co-ops.
Record Harvests, Real Economic Change
In 2024, Terra and its partners produced nearly 800 metric tons of fonio — more than double the initial target.
This success has already:
- Raised farmer incomes from $1 per day to $10–$50 per day
- Provided employment alternatives to unsafe, unregulated mining
- Kept young people in their communities rather than migrating for work
A Supply Chain Built on Fairtrade Principles
Fairtrade certification has played a pivotal role in strengthening fonio’s impact.
Co-ops receive:
- Above-market grain prices
- €100/MT social premiums
- Training, equipment, and transparent traceability
Communities have invested these premiums into:
- Schools
- Solar power projects
- Communal kitchens and storage
- Child-safe play areas that double as pedal-powered phone chargers
Women Are Leading the Transformation
One of the most inspiring outcomes of Terra’s Guinea work is the dramatic rise of women in the fonio economy.
Until recently, farms in Guinea were primarily male-led. Today, the co-ops Terra supports are often 50% female, and sometimes even higher — a historic shift in a traditionally male-dominated agricultural system.
Women farmers are now:
- Building homes
- Managing finances
- Ensuring their children attend school
- Leading entire village-level cooperatives
For brewers, this means that every pound of fonio purchased has a ripple effect far beyond flavor and aroma. It supports a new economic model in West Africa.
Why Brewers’ Participation Matters
Brewers play an outsized role in introducing fonio to global markets.
When Brewgooder set out to create the world’s first Fairtrade Certified fonio beer, they quickly realized how difficult it would be unless a partner like Terra could formalize a compliant supply chain.
The effort required:
- Synchronizing certification across Terra, farmer co-ops, FLOCERT Africa, and Fairtrade Africa
- Verifying traceability in regions with few formal records
- Conducting audits in remote areas without infrastructure
Against the odds, the entire supply chain — from farm to export — became Fairtrade Certified in March 2024.
This achievement did more than make a single beer possible. It opened the door for breweries across North America and Europe to access Fairtrade fonio for the first time. Additionally, early adopters have proven that fonio works in the brewhouse, consumers respond to its story, and breweries can meaningfully support sustainable agriculture through their recipes.
How Brewers Can Use Fonio Today
Based on brewer feedback, we recommend the following approach for first-time fonio users:
Start with 10–20% of the grist
This range preserves traditional malt character while showcasing fonio’s mouthfeel and subtle fruit notes.
Add directly to the mash
No milling required. Fonio dissolves rapidly.
Use filtration aids as needed
Rice hulls or similar aids ensure runoff stays consistent.
Experiment across styles
Fonio performs best in:
- Cold IPAs
- West Coast Pilsners
- Saisons
- Pale Lagers
- Belgian Blondes
- Modern session-strength ales
Several brewers have noted that fonio adds depth and silkiness in lower-ABV beers without heaviness — a rare advantage in today’s IPA-driven market.
Why Fonio Is Poised for Growth in 2026
We’re at a moment where craft beer, sustainability, and consumer preferences are converging:
- Drinkers want transparency and ethical sourcing
- Breweries want lower-impact ingredients with small environmental footprints
- Bars and retailers want differentiation
- Food and beverage media are highlighting fonio’s rise
- Supply chain capacity in Guinea is scaling rapidly, with a 2025 target of 1,500+ MT from Terra’s co-ops alone.
Fonio is ready for brewers — and brewers are ready for fonio.
A Grain That Delivers on Flavor, Story, and Impact
Fonio is more than the next experimental ingredient. It’s a grain that connects brewing innovation to real-world change.
When a brewer chooses fonio, they are opting for a distinctive flavor, a straightforward and brewer-friendly ingredient, a regenerative and climate-smart crop, a Fairtrade Certified supply chain, and a direct investment in women farmers and rural communities.
And for the drinker? Each pint is a chance to enjoy beer that tastes good and does good.
Interested in Brewing With Fonio?
Terra Ingredients and RahrBSG are proud to bring high-quality, traceable, Fairtrade-certified fonio to North American brewers.
For Samples, Pricing, and Large-Volume Orders
Please contact Terra Ingredients directly. Our team handles all sourcing, logistics, contracting, and bulk supply needs.
For Brewing Support and Technical Guidance
Please reach out to RahrBSG. Their team can assist with:
- Technical brewing recommendations
- Sensory insights
- Mash and usage guidance
- Style-specific application ideas
Together, Terra and RahrBSG are here to help you make your first (or next) fonio beer a success.
