Over the past year, I’ve tried some tasty potent potables made from interesting ingredients. Among them: apple vodka, sweet potato liqueur, and Wheyward Spirit – a neutral spirit crafted from whey.

But among the most intriguing was a beer made with corn, which I got to experience at the 2023 Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival in Paso Robles, CA.

“Cerveza Clara Y Mas Fina Especial”, also forthrightly known as “Heirloom Corn Lager” hails from Bierstadt Lagerhaus in Denver, Colorado. This popular brewery is known for their classic, lagers-only approach to beer, which makes the use of corn all the more fascinating.

The idea for the Heirloom Corn Lager got shucked during a chat with the owner of Finn’s Manor, a neighboring Denver bar emphasizing tequilas and mezcals. Once a reliable source of quality corn was found, the concept was off and running in 2020 and neither collaborator has looked back since.

“We love this beer!” exclaimed Ashleigh Carter, Bierstadt’s Head Brewer and Co-Owner. “We’ll make it every year for our spring seasonal.” As a result of its limited production, the Heirloom Corn Lager is mainly just available in the Denver area, but Carter noted that “we will have it at some festivals/events around the country in both cans and/or draft.” (Glad I tried it at FWIBF!)

Making Beer From Corn

Essentially, beer is made from water, hops, yeast, and grain. Hops provide a balancing bitterness, yeast converts sugar into alcohol, and – after being ground into “grist” — grain ultimately provides the sugar. For Heirloom Corn Lager, corn joins forces with barley, which is a favored grain for brewers to use.

As Carter explained, “(corn) is 40% of the grist of the beer. The other 60% is malted barley both 6row and 2row (different varieties of barley). We do what is called a ‘cereal mash’ on the corn. Essentially gelatinizing it so it can give us sugar for yeast to consume and make alcohol.”

The result is a lager even a self-described IPA whore like myself can enjoy! On the nose, it’s got just a hint of the corn, much like a fresh tortilla. Taste wise, it has nice citrus, and – compared to a typical lager — is a bit lighter and not as sweet. At only 4.5% alcohol, I could definitely toss back a couple on a hot day, or while enjoying some authentic Mexican food.

Not Just Any Corn

When sourcing the corn for this cerveza especial, Finn’s Manor owner Thomas Taylor didn’t want to settle for just any ol’ kernel. Thanks to Masienda, he didn’t have to.

Calling itself “the better masa company,” Masienda launched in 2014 with the lofty goals of supporting equitable farming practices, independent Mexican farmers, and heirloom corn varieties. By all accounts, it has succeeded, not only supplying chefs and home cooks (and beer makers) with quality corn and masa products, but also winning a little thing called a James Beard Award along the way (for its documentary series called “Masienda Presents”).

Out of six samples provided by Masienda, the colab crew decided on two heirloom (and therefore non-GMO) corns from Oaxaca: Bolita Azul and Bolita Belatove. The combination proved a winner, and both are still used in the production of Cerveza Clara Y Mas Fina Especial.

So what’s the big deal? Yes, the corn combo helps make a great beer, but isn’t it just a gimmick? Well, the cynical among us might come to that conclusion, but here’s another angle. As many farmers know, if a chef/market/etc. can guarantee to use a crop, it greatly reduces the risk for the farmers to plant it. As a result, they can take a chance on growing specialty crops that otherwise might not be grown at all.

So, consider the corn that Masienda is providing for Cerveza Clara Y Mas Fina Especial. Bolita Azul is fairly well recognized and used. But Bolita Belatove was once on the brink of outright extinction, and is considered among the rarest of all the heirloom corn varieties in Mexico.

Thanks to the efforts of companies such as Masienda, and by extension Bierstadt Lager and Finn’s Manor, Bolita Belatove has found a more secure place in this world. And isn’t that worth tossing back a few lagers?