8 Eco-Friendly Beer Brands
The production of beer can be a very wasteful process, requiring massive amounts of water waste and wasted grain. Making one barrel of beer can use up to three to five barrels of water. Breweries often end up with loads of spent grain that accounts for 85% of beer industries' waste. No fear, the sustainable baddies (and daddies) are here to save the day. Those of us who enjoy an ice-cold beer on a hot summer's day (and no, I'm not just talking to the susty daddies out there) need not have fear as to how to drink more sustainably. Brewing baddies all over the world are getting creative by being wasteless when it comes to beer and mead (alcohol made from honey). Brewers are figuring out new and innovative methods like turning wasted wheat into pizza dough and making beer out of trashed loaves of bread. So, who should you be getting your hoppy happiness from? Here are a few of our faves:
True pioneers of the sustainable beer world (and also just an all-around cool company), New Belgium beer is setting a top-tier example for susty corporate behavior by composting their organic materials, re-using spent grain whenever possible, and making an effort to keep recyclable materials separate as possible. Their signature brew, Fat Tire, is the first certified carbon-neutral beer in the country. Go off, kings.
2. Toast Ale
UK-based beer brand Toast Ale makes beer using leftover and wasted bread from local bakeries in their area. Unfortunately, Toast Ale is no longer made in the U.S. but previously made their zero-waste beer utilizing leftover bread waste from Bread Alone, a New York City bakery. Now, they continue to make their zero-waste brews in the UK and are sharing other breweries doing the same on their website. Go get that bread!
3. BrewDog
BrewDog originates from Scotland and is an entirely carbon-negative beer brand making a variety of different delicious brews, from non-alcoholic beer to a classic Italian Pale Ale, without sacrificing the planet. In addition to achieving Carbon Negative status, Brewdog has used profits to restore deforested land in the Scottish highlands.
Brewery Vivant is a Michigan-based brewery that was the first brewery to receive a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDs) Certification in 2012. A LEEDs certification denotes a building that is rethinking energy efficiency in order to create more planet-friendly structures. Their brewery is energy efficient and made to utilize natural resources whenever possible. Brewery Vivant is also a B Corp-certified company, meaning they have met high standards for ethics and sustainability.
Full Sail Brewing Co, an Oregon-based beer brand, is celebrating the natural environment of its home near Mt. Hood through its beer and its brand values. Based near the Columbia River, water preservation is extra important to Full Sail. They have made massive efforts to reduce their water consumption and prioritize alternative energy sources (like wind power) to make for a more energy-efficient work environment. Full Sail has also developed an energy-efficient work week so that they can reduce energy waste and make for a shorter production time.
Sierra Nevada started their first brewery using old recycled dairy equipment and has continued to look for innovative ways to incorporate sustainability into their growing company. They built the first LEED Platinum Production Facility in the country. Sierra Nevada’s building is powered by solar energy and is built to divert excess waste from landfills.
Fair State Brewing, based in Minneapolis Minnesota, is Minnesota’s first cooperatively-owned brewery. What started as a home-brewing project turned into a full-scale cooperative in 2014, and the community continues to grow. In this cooperative model, Fairstate is able to make small-batch brews utilizing local ingredients and create and distribute their delicious brews through the hands of their co-op members.
Based in Brooklyn, Back Home Beer is a Persian-woman-owned beer brand making brews inspired by the flavors of Iran. Founder Zahra Tabatabai was inspired by her grandfather's stories of making small-batch brews and wines at home in Iran, so she started doing it herself. Her beers incorporate creative and innovative flavors that remind her of her Iranian heritage, and each is made simply with local ingredients. All Back Home Beer purchases support local food justice organizations in New York with missions that serve women and immigrants and give back to their community.