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Local breweries do their part to save the planet with organic beers
Who knew? You can help save the earth by drinking beer - on both sides of the Tetons.
For hundreds of years, bar-stool philosophers have been trying to solve the world’s problems over a few pints. Now comes help from the breweries: green beer.
It’s not a gimmick for cheap drafts on St. Patrick’s Day. As demand for environmentally responsible products continues to grow, award-winning breweries on both sides of the Tetons have developed organic beers that are better for both the land and the people consuming them. Snake River Brewing Company in Jackson is pouring OB-1, while over the hill in Victor, Grand Teton Brewing Company has dipped into the market with Au Naturale. Both beers have full organic certification from the USDA, meaning at least 95 percent of the ingredients—barley and hops—are grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Other ecologically sensitive practices apply, as well.
“People feel very strongly, and rightfully so, about what they’re putting in their bodies,” says Tim Harland, sales and marketing director for Snake River Brewing. The company has seen sales of its organic beer rise by more than 20 percent since its introduction in 2006.
Short for Organic Beer Number 1, OB-1 is an amber ale brewed with malted barley from Wisconsin and New Zealand hops. Brewmaster Chris Erickson got the idea for the brew after listening to Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard talk about using organic cotton for his clothing. Organic farming helps protect air, water, soil, and wildlife and uses less energy, particularly from fossil fuels. “It’s more about encouraging and supporting [earth-friendly] farming methods than the health benefits on the consumer end,” says Erickson, who also makes his own biodiesel for his car.
Grand Teton Lodge Company approached the local breweries in 2006 about making an organic beer the company could serve at its properties in Grand Teton National Park. Grand Teton Brewing responded with its Au Naturale, a blonde ale made with German malts and hops. “It was so popular we decided to go ahead and put it in bottles,” says brewmaster Rob Mullen. Au Naturale now accounts for about 15 percent of the company’s sales.
These beer producers are not alone. While overall beer sales have declined slightly in recent years, North American receipts for organic-beer sales rose from $9 million in 2003 to $19 million in 2005, according to the Organic Trade Association. Industry giant Anheuser-Busch has introduced two organic beers under smaller labels.
The market for organic barley and hops is extremely tight. Snake River’s Erickson bemoans the fact that he must order his hops from New Zealand, as long-distance shipping exacts an extra environmental toll. But because the crop is susceptible to pests and disease, the island nation continues to be one of the world’s leading suppliers. The brew pub charges an extra fifty cents, or $4, for a pint of OB-1.
Beer drinkers may not have answers to the world’s woes when they sit down at the bar. But the glass they’re holding contains a small step toward progress. As Snake River’s Harland says: “Think globally. Drink locally.”
