By Brian Merchant
Brooklyn, NY, USA | Tue Nov 18 13:30:00 GMT 2008
Green beer is a concept no longer restricted to St. Patrick's Day: It's now a full-fledged environmental phenomenon. From organic draughts to solar-powered breweries, there's an entire burgeoning world of eco beers. There are so many emerging, in fact, that we've decided to break them down by region—starting with the East Coast.
Now there are a few ways a beer can be considered green: It can be brewed via environmentally friendly processes, or made with green ingredients like pesticide and chemical-free organic barley and hops. Naturally, the greenest beers take both into account. The good news is drinking organic beer actually helps prevent soil degradation and water source contamination where barley and hops are harvested.
A Few Green Beer Drinking Tips:
No matter what coast your beer is from, it's best to choose bottles over cans when you have an option—recycling glass is easier and more environmentally friendly than aluminum. Go for beers with paint-on rather than paper labels to cut down on waste. Last but not least, support your local micro-brewery to minimize the fossil fuels needed to ship that beer to your fridge.
Any of the green beers below will let your (soon-to-be-inebriated) conscience rest easier.
Why We Like It: Wolaver's Organic Brown Ale won us over with its uncommon complexity and lightness—it's nutty and smooth. All the hops and grains used in production are 100 percent organic and the folks at Otter Creek Brewing Company in Middlebury, Vermont, have a strict respect for the environment. In fact, we think this beer is the greenest on our list.
Eco Factor: Otter Creek has installed a free-air cooler, an efficient lighting system, and a boiler system that runs on a biodiesel mixture. They use recycled board for all packaging and unbleached paper for case boxes. Spent grain is sent to feed local livestock, wastewater is properly treated with an in-house management system, and, as much as possible, beer is made with locally sourced ingredients. Oh, and they also donate a portion of proceeds to charity. Green enough for you?
Greenebriation Factor: At 5.7 percent Alcohol by Volume (ABV), Wolaver's Brown Ale is just enough to warm your gullet: You'll be able to savor the taste without losing your senses.
Where: Use the handy store locator on Otto Creek's website.
Six-Pack Costs: As little as $6 dollars on the East Coast.
Why We Like It: Orlio Organic Common Ale took home the gold medal in the Brewers Association 2008 World Beer Cup, in the American-style Amber lager category—not bad for a 100 percent organic beer. And its trophy is well deserved: There's nothing mundane about the Common, a complex, sweet creamy amber ale, with a satisfying, slightly bitter finish.
Eco Factor: This crisp ale is certified organic by both the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the state of Vermont. Recently, Orlio, a division of the the Magic Hat Brewing Company, sponsored an event for Turtle Ridge Foundation. The non-profit organization, founded by Olympic skier Bode Miller, is dedicated to supporting and creating programs that solve environmental, health, and economic issues.
Greenebriation Factor: Orlio Organic Common Ale lands in the middle of the road with 5 percent ABV—it's an easy beer to drink and an easy one to enjoy.
Where: Use the handy store locator on Orlio's Web site.
Six-Pack Costs: $7-10.
Why We Like It: One of the foremost and widely popular organic beer producers, Portland, Maine-based Peak Organic consistently rolls out exemplar product. The robust, wonderfully complex Espresso Amber is no exception.
Eco Factor: The combination of organic hops and barley with fair trade (and also organic) espresso makes this brew uniquely green. The company uses no persistent pesticides and no chemical fertilizer when cultivating crops.
Greenebriation Rating: At 7.3 percent ABV, the Espresso Amber packs a caffeine-infused punch despite going down smooth.
Where: Organic and natural food stores including Whole Foods Market.
Why we like it: New Grist is a unique breed—it's the first certified 100 percent organic, gluten-free beer, brewed without any barley or wheat. Lakefront Brewery gets big points for introducing a tasty beer that those with Celiac disease can enjoy. The brewery grows gluten-free yeast on molasses, sorghum, and rice extract, although, chances are, you won't be able to tell the difference with the resulting crisp and light ale.
Eco factor: Lakefront Brewery also pioneered the organic brewing industry. In 1996, it released the first certified organic beer to be labeled in the U.S. Although Lakefront Brewery's hops are currently imported primarily from New Zealand, company founder Russ Klisch hopes to change this. He recently teamed up with Wisconsin farmers to start a local organic hops initiative.
Greenebriation Rating: The 5.7 percent ABV allows for a gluten-free good time.
Where: Use Lakeside Brewery's map to find New Grist locations across the US.
Six-Pack Costs: $9-10.
Why We Like It: This Belgian-style Raspberry Wheat Beer is made with real raspberries, but it's not as fruity as you might think (our tasters actually found it a little more bitter than sweet, believe it or not). It comes with a firm, satiating finish that earned it a Silver Medal in the Fruit Category at the Brewer's Association of Maryland's 2008 Governor's Cup.
Eco Factor: The Clipper City Brewing Company has made a stringent commitment to organic farming with its Oxford Organic line. And even if owner Hugh Sisson says you can't taste the difference in his organically farmed beer ingredients certified Organic by the Maryland Department of Agriculture, we think you can—a sip should prove that.
Greenebriation Factor: At a comfortable, easy-to-down 5.0 percent ABV, your stumbling block might not be the potency of the drink itself—but how many beers you'll want to polish off.
Where to buy it: Use the handy store locator on Cider City's Web site.
Six-Pack Costs: $7-9.
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