Cereal Thriller

Simon Stabler joins the breakfast club

- Simon Stabler

It was on one of our daily walks during lockdown when my children asked me what I would do if the shops ran out of beer. Perhaps it was a comment on how much I had been drinking during those two years welded to the sofa. But instead of taking the opportunity to reflect on my conduct, I simply said: “I suppose I could brew my own.”

After suggesting to me that if there was a shortage of beer, there could well be a shortage of the ingredients to brew it, I wondered if it would be possible to brew beer with breakfast cereals. After all, many homebrewers use malt extract in their recipes, so why not Shreddies?

Even Kellogg’s has got in on the act, collaborating with the craft brewer Seven Bro7hers Brewing Co to produce Throw Away IPA, a beer that replaces some of the brewing grains with rejected Corn Flakes. The collaboration is part of the cereal manufacturer’s Better Days Promise, which aims to reduce food waste across its global manufacturing facilities by 50% by the end of 2030.

So popular was the 5% ABV Throw Away IPA that the range has been expanded to introduce two new 5.5% ABV beers – Sling It Out Stout, which includes Coco Pops in its mash, and the Rice Crispies-based Cast Off Pale Ale.

Miller Time