What’s Sorghum?

New Planet Intern gives us the inside scoop on his internship and sorghum.

New Planet Beer intern, Ryan Gaterman enlightens us on what he’s learned so far during his summer internship.

Before working with New Planet Beer, I was a bit unaware of gluten-free diets and the processes behind gluten-free products. After working for a few weeks and attending the Rocky Mountain Brewfest in Fort Collins, CO, I have learned much more about the beer industry than I thought and what it takes to brew certified gluten-free beer.

I’ve found that in the wonderful world of beer, unless you’re gluten-free, many people don’t know what separates New Planet’s Beer from other beer brands. New Planet Beer’s selection is strictly gluten-free and the ingredients and recipes for Tread Lightly Ale and 3R Raspberry Ale are like no other. I explain to consumers, aside from an outstanding taste, that New Planet Beer uses sorghum instead of wheat, thus making New Planet Beer gluten-free. For those who don’t follow a gluten-free diet or don’t know their crops well, they may ask, “What’s sorghum?”.

In order to answer this question, I did some research and found some interesting facts about the grain sorghum:

• There are roughly 30 different species of sorghum
• Sorghum can be used for alcohol, syrup, biofuel, and fodder
• Sorghum is extremely drought intolerant
• Sorghum is one of the top cereal crops in the world along with wheats, oats, barley and corn
• The sorghum plant can grow over 6 feet tall
• Sorghum is very high in fiber, iron and fairly high in protein
• Sorghum originated in Africa and is grown most commonly in Africa
• It makes good beer

If you have yet to try a beer brewed with sorghum, now is the time to start! Whether it be gluten sensitivity or a diet choice, have a taste of New Planet Beer and you’ll be satisfied.