Green Beer, Greener Beer
Green Inc. this morning has a piece on New Belgium Brewing Co. in Fort Collins, Colo. -- unfortunately headlined "Brewer Learns Lesson About Green Marketing." The story goes like this:
New Belgium started buying wind offsets in 1999, then noticed that people liked that. They continued to increase their green efforts and, as one might suspect, ramped up their marketing of those efforts. When one employee left the company, it apparently became his mission to carefully critique the brewer's green efforts.
That's important. Green marketing should be carefully watched. And the man even made good points, causing New Belgium to make positive changes a few years ago. But I'm not sure that the negative tone in "Brewer Learns Lesson" is warranted. Maybe "Obsessed Ex-Employee Spurs Green Brewer To Aim Even Higher."
Here is one point made on Green Inc.:
Among other things, New Belgium noted that packaging and transporting of raw materials, including barley, which is imported from faraway Wisconsin, account for nearly half of its overall footprint.
Stuff that comes from far away causes a bigger carbon footprint. True, and I applaud Green Inc. for making the point, and I'd sure hope they'd make it when reporting on any other business that requires "importing" ingredients from as far away as Wisconsin is from northern Colorado. But call me skeptical.
Secondly, the following sentences make these amazing announcements, very casually:
As a result, Ms. Orgolini said the company was investing in research to harvest local barley, and that it was opening a new packaging facility designed to reduce carbon emissions. The company also reported that it had partnered with the City of Fort Collins, Colorado State University and "other energy-focused companies" in applying for a grant from the Department of Energy to fund a project aimed at reducing peak-load electricity demand.
Catch that? This is a brewer that wants to be involved in pioneering smart-grid technologies.
New Belgium is actually pretty far ahead of most brewers, and may be matched in quantity and scope of sustainability efforts only by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico, Calif. New Belgium even hosted a "green recovery" community meeting recently:
At a community session at New Belgium Brewing Co., environmentalists promoted residents' health and safety, environmental health and a sustainable economic stimulus plan as a part of "green recovery" for Colorado's sagging economy.
"I really do think not only do we have a crisis in our face," said Fort Collins Democratic Rep. Randy Fischer, "but we can make this crisis an opportunity by investing in a green Colorado."
But the ex-employee's point is a good one, if not one made in the most cordial way. Raw materials for all kinds of products can come from very far away and offset many other, more well-publicized green efforts. Organic hops used in American beers bearing the USDA organic label, for example, are mostly grown in the Pacific Northwest -- or in New Zealand.
(Drinking locally is one of the very best ways to drink "green beer" because of the sheer weight of transporting beer, especially in heavy glass bottles.)
In any case, cutting down on packaging is always a good idea, New Belgium has started that this year:
At current production levels, the move will eliminate 150 tons of cardboard from going into New Belgium packaging, while preventing 174 metric tons of CO2 emissions each year. In addition, the transition will save New Belgium an estimated $280,000 in the coming year.
"We've designed a new 12-pack carton that will tighten the case to prevent bottles from hitting each other during transit," said director of operations Mark Fischer.
Additionally, the brewer has started canning its flagship beer, Fat Tire. Aluminum cans, while a bit nastier to produce, take far less energy to recycle (and less energy to distribute, too).
It's important to watch companies that aggressively market their green efforts, as New Belgium does, but it's also important to recognize a company that's legitimately doing the right thing of its own volition.
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"Among other things, New Belgium noted that packaging and transporting of raw materials, including barley, which is imported from faraway Wisconsin, account for nearly half of its overall footprint."
Beer is one of those things that require specific ingredients changing grain or hops to locally grown can ruin the brew! I'm all for reducing carbon output, but you cant realistically supply everything locally...
I can help them with their bottle/transprotation problem. Run a tap line to my house. I'll take care it from there.
fat tire rocks!!!
Someone besides Anheuser-Busch should make a gluten-free beer. They have the only one out there and I don't want to give them any of my money.
See Dave Burdick's Profile
Whoa, not even close to true -- first of all there's this list http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art30583.asp (and http://www.glutenfreepassport.com/eatingout/gfbeer.html ) and second of all a bar near me always has one gluten-free beer listed. It rotates. If I get a chance soon, I'll wander down and ask them for a good list of them.
Carbon and wind "offsets" are nothing but a scam.
The "Lucky Lab" here in Portland is another brewer who focuses on minimizing their carbon footprint while producing excellent (some organic) ales. If you're ever in town try the place out, and bring your dog, it has a huge dog friendly outside seating area.
Indeed, Great Lakes Brewing makes awesome beer. Unfortunately, it's pretty expensive.
Life is too short for cheap beer.
Guess I'm showing my age, when I saw the title, I thought it was about old-fashioned, high proof, home brewed, green beer. Strong enough to knock your socks off, it is.
Support your local green brewer. Anyone living in Ohio should only be drinking Great Lakes:
http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/companyEnvironmentZW.php
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale!!!!
The brewery (in Chico, CA) is one of the "greenest" businesses in the state, and possibly the nation. They make a damn fine beer, too!!
*lives near Fort Collins, CO*
New Belgium makes some very tasty brews! I wish them the best in their green efforts.
It would be a shame to see more beers go the way of aluminum packaging. While bottles are heavy to transport, I'd be interested to known if New Belgium has instituted any refilling policies/programs to increase the sustainability of sticking to glass...
The following post demonstrates why it would make New Belgium even more "green":
http://blog.cleantechies.com/2009/01/26/chasing-cleantech-in-the-glass-bottle-industry/
When I was living in Canada, and when I recently visited, I noticed that the entire country uses mandatory reusing of bottles. You pay a deposit per bottle when you buy them and when you take them down to your local, privately run, "bottle shop" you get your money back. And if you don't want to take them down, just set them aside and a local group like the boy scouts [which in Canada aren't married to the bible and don't discriminate against gays etc] will come by to pick them up.
We could learn a lot from our northern neighbors
if it's belgian beer, it had better be lambic...
Belgium has the best beer in europe, especially in the early summer
Is there nothing that beer can't do? Brewers bringing happiness to us all and helping the environment.
remember what Ben Franklin said
"Beer is proof that god loves us and wants us to be happy"
Unfortunately, that quote is spurious: http://urbanlegends.about.com/b/2008/09/15/misquote-ben-franklin-on-beer.htm
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