Inspired by their collaboration with the Studio Olafur Eliasson Kitchen, Tate Eats has worked with south-east London brewery Fourpure Brewing Co and social enterprise brewery Toast Ale to create Elemental: Cucumis Sativus. A sustainable sour beer, Elemental: Cucumis Sativus challenges food waste by utilising bread that would have otherwise been wasted, replacing malted barley.
Both Tate and Studio Olafur Eliasson Kitchen champion sustainable food preparation, emphasising low food miles and sourcing quality ingredients from British suppliers that have ethical, sustainable business practices, thus resulting in this unique brew. This particular collaboration contains 200 kilograms of surplus bread from bakeries that have produced too many loaves, supermarkets that throw away bread past its best-before date, and sandwich manufacturers who discard the heel end of loaves.
On the launch of Elemental: Cucumis Sativus, Andrew Downs, Operations Director at Tate said: “This brew is particularly special because of its incredible sustainability message. We’ve chosen to work with Fourpure and Toast because not only do they make great beer, they also align with our own sustainability values. Fourpure is located in Bermondsey which is just three miles from Tate Modern and is industry leading in the way it has converted to packaging only canned beers which is sustainable as all cans are infinitely recyclable, and Toast who are a brilliant organisation, hell bent on tackling the problem of food waste by brewing with it.”
Specifically brewed with the tasting notes designed to accompany vegetarian dishes prepared with fermented vegetables and vibrant salads, Elemental: Cucumis Sativus is brewed with Magnum hops, with 300 cucumbers added to each batch alongside lactic acid culture and the bread. With a low ABV of 3.4 per cent, the beer has a hazy gold complexion with a tart aroma rampant with lemon, cucumber and yeast. Additional bread notes are also noticeable alongside some floral hop aromas. On the palate, bright cucumber savours are prevalent with huge sour character bolstered by some tart lemon drops and sourdough bread which evolves to finish with a smooth, clean mouth feel. A superlative example of its respective style, with a compelling social cause hook.
Elemental: Cucumis Sativus is available at all Tate bars and online at fourpure.com.