Mushroom beer might sound crazy if you start from a position of “I brew beer. What new ingredient can I throw in the mash tun today?” But if your starting point is “I’m passionate about the benefits of functional mushrooms. What would be a good way to deliver them to people?” it suddenly makes a lot more sense. 

Zoey Henderson was a consultant to the hospitality industry when the Covid pandemic hit. Suddenly there was no hospitality industry, so no consultancy, and she needed to find something else to do. 

The health benefits of functional mushrooms – different from both ‘magic mushrooms’ and edible mushrooms – have been familiar to people in the Far East for centuries. 

“I’d been taking a mushroom called Lion’s Mane in coffee for about six years – it’s a powerful anti-histamine, and really helped my hay fever” she says. “It’s bitter and nutty, with hints of cacao, like some beers. And we’re creatures of ceremony. It’s hard to remember to take your medicine. If it’s pleasurable, and part of our routine, it’s easier.” 

Zoe commissioned a brewer to create three beers, each in a style that complemented the flavour profile of a different functional mushroom. Each beer is in the booming “low and no” alcohol sector, at 0.4 to 0.5% ABV. So what do they taste like?

Well, not mushrooms. These are beers, brewed with barley and hops, with about half an ounce of mushroom in each 330ml bottle.