South Carolina’s First Fonio Beer Debuts at Charleston Festival

News Summary

The Charleston Wine + Food Festival is set to introduce South Carolina’s first fonio beer, Teraanga, crafted by April Dove’s brand, Tha Community. This exciting festival will highlight local culinary treasures and innovative craft brews from March 5-9, 2025. Teraanga, a blonde ale made with fonio, aims to share stories of culture and community while offering a fresh, nutty flavor profile. With perfect weather predicted for beer tasting, attendees are in for a unique experience that celebrates diversity in craft brewing.

Exciting Brew News in Charleston!

Charleston, get ready to raise your glasses! The upcoming Charleston Wine + Food Festival is set to bring a refreshing twist to your palate with a delightful surprise – South Carolina’s very first fonio beer! This remarkable brew, named Teraanga, will be making its official debut and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Pioneering Dining Experience

Scheduled to run from March 5-9, 2025, this vibrant festival will showcase the state’s culinary treasures alongside this innovative beer. Teraanga is a blonde ale, crafted by the talented April Dove through her brand, Tha Community. This brand is dedicated to working with local breweries to provide inclusivity in an industry that has historically been dominated by those who don’t always represent the diverse fabric of our communities.

From Vegas to Charleston

The inspiration for Teraanga came to Dove during a recent beer conference in Las Vegas. She attended a fascinating discussion featuring brew master Garrett Oliver, who highlighted the health benefits of **fonio**, an ancient grain hailing from Senegal. Fonio flourishes in the hot, arid regions of West Africa near the Sahara Desert, and its rich, nutty flavor is poised to bring a unique character to craft beers.

Dove believes that beers can offer a narrative beyond just flavors. She envisions Teraanga as a vehicle to tell a story about culture, heritage, and the importance of community. This beer is not just an enjoyable drink; it represents the themes of generosity, hospitality, and sharing, all captured within its name, which translates to ‘generosity’ in Senegalese.

Making History in South Carolina

Alyssa Maute Smith, the Executive Director for the Charleston Wine + Food Festival, proudly announced that Teraanga will be the first-ever beer brewed with fonio in South Carolina. This is exciting news not only for local beer enthusiasts but also for those eager to explore new and diverse flavors. In fact, breweries across the U.S. have started to take notice of fonio’s brewing potential. For instance, Brooklyn Brewery teamed up with Carlsberg to produce a fonio lager up in New York, and Kiitos Brewing in Salt Lake City has launched a gluten-free ale that incorporates fonio, flavored with the delicious notes of passionfruit, lychee, and peach.

Future Brews on the Horizon

April Dove is not stopping with just Teraanga. She has plans for more fonio-infused beers, with an exciting collaboration in the works with a Charlotte brewery. That means there will be plenty more innovative brews for all of us to enjoy in the near future.

Perfect Weather for Beer Tasting

As the festival approaches, the weather on March 6, 2025, is predicted to be nothing less than perfect for enjoying a refreshing beer outdoors. Expect sunny skies with a high of around 59°F and a brisk Northwest wind whispering through the event at 15 to 25 mph. While the temperatures might dip to a cozy 38°F at night, lighter winds will provide a refreshing feel as attendees can chat and sip their newly discovered favorite brews.

Cheers to A Flavorful Future!

So mark your calendars and prepare for a truly unique experience – the Charleston Wine + Food Festival is not just about indulging in delicious dishes but is also an opportunity to navigate toward new, innovative libations. With Teraanga, fonio takes center stage and shows us that there’s always room for extraordinary flavors and stories in our beer. Raise a glass to what’s brewing in Charleston; it’s sure to be some of the best food and drink this Southern city has ever seen!

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Additional Resources

• Post and Courier: Charleston Wine + Food Festival
• Post and Courier: 2025 Festival Dates and Venue
• Post and Courier: Local Breweries Embrace Fonio
• Post and Courier: Taste of Charleston Returns
• Post and Courier: New Fonio-Centric Dishes
• Wikipedia: Fonio
• Google Search: fonio beer
• Google Scholar: fonio brew
• Encyclopedia Britannica: fonio
• Google News: Charleston Wine Food Festival