The Story Behind America’s First Carbon Neutral Beer
How one Colorado-based brewery is crafting beer for a brighter future.
If you speak with people in the beer industry about sustainable practices, one thing quickly becomes clear: brewing, in general, is not an environmentally friendly business.
“Beer is about as wasteful a product you can imagine,” says Joe Bolick, a director at the Iowa Waste Reduction Center, a non-profit organization that provides environmental consulting for state businesses.
Unfortunately, it’s true. Breweries require significant energy to kiln-dry and roast malt, heat mash, boil hops, chill, and refrigerate the final product. On top of the brewing process, there are byproducts and transportation.
Sustainability has been a focal point in the wine industry, but there hasn’t been a united front for beer. “Brewing is so resource-intense that it lends itself naturally to becoming more sustainable,” says Bolick.
In other words, where there’s waste, there’s opportunity.
