Identification of eight novel Kveik yeast strains from Scandinavian homebrewers

We conducted a genomic analysis on fifteen putative Kveik yeast strains isolated from Scandinavia from 2019 to 2021. We sequenced the genomes of 11 Kveik strains which were expected to contain Kveik yeast strains. We built a reference panel from published and well-characterized yeast genomes and generated a phylogenetic tree for the genomes consisting of our Kveik strains with the reference panel. Phylogenetic assessments of the genomes revealed that eight strains exhibit genetic alignment with the six pre-existing Kveik strains cataloged in our panel. Surprisingly, three strains, initially posited as Kveik strains, had similarities to beer2/mosaic yeast strains, suggesting potential misclassification. Our findings underscore the significance of rigorous genomic evaluations in accurate strain characterization and broaden the known diversity of Kveik yeast strains.