5 Eco-Friendly Beers to Savor

Do you like beer? Here are five eco-friendly beers to try, if you want to support green breweries.

Local, organic, sustainable. Now, you’re probably thinking of farmer’s markets with radiant displays of colorful fruits and vegetables. But let’s talk beer today for a moment. Beer is made from barley, hops, and other grains and spices, all of them plants. So there’s every reason to make beer as local, organic, and sustainable as the lovely vegetables in your local market. You may feel awkward about washing away your troubles with malty carbonated alcohol, but have no fear, for you can enjoy {almost} guilt-free indulgence with these 5 eco-friendly brews.

Bison Organic

In addition to an all-organic line of choice beers {not just one or two organic beers for greenwashing’s sake}, Bison Organic supports a variety of environmental programs: Slow Food, Free Carbon Offsets for Bison Organic Drinkers, and Story of Stuff. In this way, Bision Organic aims to be ecologically and socially conscious of their widespread impact.

[CC Image by kapital via Flickr]

New Belgium

New Belgium is famous for Fat Tire, Ranger IPA, and Mothership Wit. Their website proudly states that they are Alternatively Empowered and Employee Owned , which basically means their business decisions are rooted in ecological and social responsibility. As environmental stewards, they believe they must:

Lovingly care for the planet that sustains us.
Honor natural resources by closing the loops between waste and input.
Minimize the environmental impact of shipping our beer.
Reduce our dependence on coal-fired electricity.
Protect our precious Rocky Mountain water resources.
Focus our efforts on conservation and efficiency.
Support innovative technology.
Model joyful environmentalism through our commitment to relationships, continuous improvement, and the camaraderie and cheer of beer

New Belgium also powers their website servers using 100% wind power. Talk about commitment!

[CC Image by betsyweber via Flickr]

Fish Tale Organic Ales

Fish Tale uses only Certified Organic malted barley for its fine brews.

[CC Image by McD22 via Flickr]

Eel River Brewing Company

Eel River was America’s first Certified Organic brewery, that first year of certification being 1999. In 2007, an old timber mill shut down and they moved into a new brewing home. Now they’re powered by the timber mill’s leftovers – biomass – such as wood chips, bark, scrap lumber and clippings. They’ll even take your lawn clippings to power their brews.

[CC Image by kapital via Flickr]

Brooklyn Brewery

In 2003, Brooklyn Brewery became the first New York City business to become 100% wind-powered. Both the brewery and headquarters are powered by 100% wind-generated electricity.

Have you tried any of these eco-friendly beers? Do you know any others you want to share with us?

[CC Image by Lomo-Cam via Flickr]