A rather extraordinary new beer is set to make its debut at this year’s Super Bowl, and it comes with a rather unconventional ingredient: bear droppings. Titled “Nature Calls”, this limited-edition brew is the result of a unique collaboration between Columbia Sportswear and Breakside Brewery, designed to bring a taste of the great outdoors to the indoor festivities of the NFL championship.
A Taste of Nature
Launching on February 8 at the Super Bowl Players Tailgate in Santa Clara, California, Nature Calls promises to be a game-day experience like no other. This adventurous beverage is crafted from Bull Run River water sourced from Oregon, with the added twist of bear poop collected from American black bears in Montana, infused into the brewing process. Alongside the bear droppings, the beer features a delightful blend of malted grains from the Pacific Northwest, harmoniously complemented by hints of honey and huckleberry.
Joe Boyle, Columbia Sportswear’s brand president, expressed his enthusiasm about the project with a cheeky remark: “When we say engineered for whatever, we mean whatever. Mother Nature hurls bear poop at us, we’ll ferment it into a frosty pint. From the inside of a bear to your mouth — we’re making nature’s crap easier to swallow.”
Brewing with Care
Scott Lawrence, the founder of Breakside Brewery, reassured potential consumers that Nature Calls is brewed under the same rigorous standards applied to their other beers. “We’ve brewed a lot of beers, but never one that celebrates nature this literally,” he remarked. “When Columbia came to us with the idea to use bear poop, we thought they were joking. Turns out, they weren’t — and now we’ve got the wildest beer in America and maybe the world. It’s crazy, it’s fun, and honestly… it tastes great.”
Nature Calls will not only be available at the Super Bowl Players Tailgate but will also be on tap at select Breakside Brewery locations across Oregon, ensuring that fans of this quirky brew can enjoy it beyond the big game.
A Trendy Brew?
Interestingly, Nature Calls isn’t the first beer to incorporate animal waste into its recipe. In 2021, Finnish microbrewery Ant Brew made headlines with a stout that utilised geese droppings gathered from local parks in Lahti. The geese poop was employed in a food-safe way to smoke malt, creating a unique flavour profile for their beer, which celebrated Lahti’s recognition as the European Green Capital that year.
Why it Matters
Nature Calls exemplifies the intersection of creativity and sustainability in brewing. By utilising bear droppings in a safe and innovative manner, Columbia Sportswear and Breakside Brewery not only push the boundaries of what a beer can be but also spark conversations about the diverse and often overlooked ingredients in our food and drink. As consumers become increasingly interested in unique flavour experiences and sustainable practices, this unconventional beer is sure to capture attention and challenge perceptions, offering a bold statement on the evolving landscape of craft brewing.
