page_title: Commercial sorghum
section_title: Sorghum beer
hierarchical_section_title: Commercial sorghum / Cultivation and uses / Alcoholic beverages / Sorghum beer
caption_attribution_description: English: The back of Lakefront Brewery and Brewers' Point Apartments along the Milwaukee River in the Beerline B neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
context_page_description: Commercial sorghum is the cultivation and commercial exploitation of species of grasses within the genus Sorghum. These plants are used for grain, fibre and fodder. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Commercial Sorghum species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Asia.
  Other names include durra, Egyptian millet, feterita, Guinea corn, jwari ज्वारी, jowar, juwar, milo, shallu, Sudan grass, cholam, jola/ಜೋಳ, jonnalu జొన్నలు, gaoliang, great millet, kafir corn, dura, dari, mtama, and solam.
  Sorghum has been, for centuries, one of the most important staple foods for millions of poor rural people in the semiarid tropics of Asia and Africa. For some impoverished regions of the world, sorghum remains a principal source of energy, protein, vitamins and minerals. Sorghum grows in harsh environments where other crops do not grow well, just like other staple foods, such as cassava, that are common in impoverished regions of the world. It is usually grown without application of any fertilizers or other inputs by a multitude of small-holder farmers in many countries.
context_section_description: In southern Africa, sorghum is used to produce beer, including the local version of Guinness. In recent years, sorghum has been used as a substitute for other grain in gluten-free beer. Although the African versions are not "gluten-free", as malt extract is also used, truly gluten-free beer using such substitutes as sorghum or buckwheat are now available. Sorghum is used in the same way as barley to produce a "malt" that can form the basis of a mash that will brew a beer without gliadin or hordein (together "gluten") and therefore can be suitable for coeliacs or others sensitive to certain glycoproteins.
  In November 2006, Lakefront Brewery of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, launched its "New Grist" gluten-free beer, brewed with sorghum and rice. It is one of its most successful lines. It is aimed at those with coeliac disease, although its low-carb content also makes it popular with health-minded drinkers.
  In December 2006, Anheuser-Busch of St. Louis, Missouri, introduced their new "Redbridge" beer. This beer is gluten-free and is produced with sorghum as the main ingredient. Redbridge was the first sorghum-based beer to be nationally distributed in the United States.
  African sorghum beer is a brownish-pink beverage with a fruity, sour taste. Its alcohol content can vary between 1% and 8%. African sorghum beer is high in protein, which contributes to foam stability, giving it a milk-like head. Because this beer is not filtered, its appearance is cloudy and yeasty, and may also contain bits of grain. This beer is said to be very thirst-quenching, even if it is traditionally consumed at room temperature.
  African sorghum beer is a popular drink primarily amongst the black community for historical reasons. It became popular amongst the black community in South Africa in part because it was exempt from the prohibition that applied only to black people and which was lifted in 1962.
  Sorghum beer is also associated with the development of the segregationist "Durban System" in South Africa in the early 20th century. The turn of the 20th century saw growing segregationist tendencies amongst the white populations of South African towns. Fearful of the alleged diseases of black residents, the white populations of these towns sought to prevent black Africans from gaining permanent residence in urban areas, and separate them from the white communities. Within this context, two municipalities, Durban and Pietermaritzburg, devised a system by which black Africans in their locality would be housed in 'native locations' outside the main towns, with their segregated accommodation paid for from revenues from the municipal monopoly over sorghum beer. This solved the problem of white rate-payers having to foot the cost of segregation, and ensured the whole scheme paid for itself. After the passage of the 1923 Natives (Urban Areas) Act, all municipalities in South Africa were given the powers to enforce racial segregation, and the Durban System was extended throughout the union, ensuring that segregation was paid for from African rents and beerhall monopolies.
  Sorghum beer is called bjala in northern Sotho and is traditionally made to mark the unveiling of a loved-one's tombstone. The task of making the beer falls traditionally to women. The process is begun several days before the party, when the women of the community gather together to bring the sorghum and water to a boil in huge cast iron pots over open fires. After the mix has fermented for several days, it is strained - a somewhat labor-intensive task. Sorghum beer is known by many different names in various countries across Africa, including Umqombothi (South Africa) burukuto (Nigeria), pombe (East Africa) and bil-bil (Cameroon). African sorghum beer brewed using grain sorghum undergoes lactic acid fermentation, as well as alcoholic fermentation.
  The steps in brewing African sorghum beer are: malting, mashing, souring and alcoholic fermentation. All steps, with the exception of the souring, can be compared to traditional beer brewing.
  The souring of African sorghum beer by lactic acid fermentat
caption: The back of Lakefront Brewery, Inc. (and Brewers' Point Apartments) in Milwaukee, makers of "New Grist" beer brewed with sorghum and rice.
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