Bioprospecting for brewers: Exploiting natural diversity for naturally diverse beers.

The burgeoning interest in archaic, traditional and novel beer styles has coincided with a growing appreciation of the role of yeasts in determining beer character as well as a better understanding of the ecology and biogeography of yeasts. Multiple studies in recent years have highlighted the potential of wild Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeasts for production of beers with novel flavour profiles and other desirable properties. Yeasts isolated from spontaneously-fermented beers as well as from other food systems (wine, bread, kombucha) have shown promise for brewing application and there is evidence that such cross-system transfers have occurred naturally in the past. We review here the available literature pertaining to the use of non-conventional yeasts in brewing, with a focus on the origins of these yeasts, including methods of isolation. Practical aspects of utilizing non-domesticated yeasts are discussed and modern methods to facilitate discovery of yeasts with brewing potential are highlighted.