A Toast to the Tides: Brewing Connection with Bull Kelp and Blackberries

For a lot of people, seaweed is still just an idea - healthy, sustainable, maybe even kind of cool, but not exactly something you’d think to drink.

This spring, for the 25th International Seaweed Symposium, a unique collaboration took shape in Victoria, BC: With a Little Kelp From My Friends - a beer brewed with wild-harvested bull kelp and local blackberries, created by Herald Street Brew Works in partnership with Amanda Swinimer of Dakini Tidal Wilds and the Pacific Seaweed Industry Association (PSIA).

Image by Phoebe Lewis.

More than just a beverage, this beer is a celebration of coastal ecosystems, sustainable harvesters, creative brewers, and the power of collaboration. It's also a reminder that seaweed isn’t just the future of food or climate solutions - it’s part of our culture, our communities, and yes, even our happy hours.

Amanda Swinimer has spent the past two decades harvesting wild seaweeds by hand from the Pacific Northwest coastline. Through her business, Dakini Tidal Wilds, she’s built not just a livelihood, but a movement rooted in respect, regeneration, and reconnection with the ocean. Her work has inspired students, researchers, and foodies alike to see seaweed differently - not as a commodity, but as a lifeline.

Image by Chris Adair

Now, her kelp is at the heart of this bold new brew.

Tart blackberries and bull kelp have come together to create a refreshing, slightly sour brew with a smooth finish. With every in-house sale, $1.00 is donated directly to Seaweed Stories, helping amplify the voices behind the seaweed movement and build global momentum for sustainable ocean stewardship.

This collaboration isn’t just about a great beer. It’s a small but meaningful example of how different parts of the seaweed community -  harvesters, brewers, and advocates - can work together to create impact.

So here’s to the tide. To the kelp. To the stories we’re only beginning to tell.