This Wednesday: Save the Ales
Editor’s Note: This is the first Progressive Wednesday post by Steve Heim, one of our featured writers. Just like our other writers, he brings unique perspectives to the progressive table. Read on….
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Problem:
I’ll be the first to admit that my carbon footprint could use some trimming, and that my anxiety about the ice caps melting and climate change in general could use some fuel. I admit it. I’m guilty. I’m sorry, Earth.
But then I found a recent study by the Czech climatologist Martin Mozny that knocked the ennui right out of me. Mozny found that the production of Saaz hops, a key ingredient in pilsners, has dropped significantly in quantity and quality within the past two years. The reason? A warming climate.
I reacted as any thirsty American male would: “Wait? This warming thing is messing with my beer?” and I checked my fridge to see if the six-pack I bought the previous night was still there.
It’s true! Compared to the crop in the 50’s, the Saaz production today has lost .6% of its usual modest 5% alpha acid. In the small, vulnerable region of the Czech Republic, Mozny predicts a “decline in both yields, of up to 7–10%, and a-acid content, of up to 13–32%, the latter a major determinant of quality.” Researchers believe it’s not only Czech hops that are at stake, but the famous Hallertau Valley of Bavaria is also seeing increases in temperature. The Hallertau region is the world’s largest producer of hops, home to around 1,200 producers who grow hops on some 40,000 acres of farmland. The beleaguered farmers of these regions wonder if they should be looking for land elsewhere, places more suitable for their crop.
Pardon the hyperbole, but I’m not sure if I want to live in a world where Hallertauer hops can no longer grow in Hallertau. It’d be as if Champagne could no longer cultivate grapes and had to move their farms to England (wine lovers, please don’t look at the article that shows up on your computer when you click this sentence).
Saaz is one of four noble hops, all of which are native from this region of Central Europe, and their use is nothing short of prolific. Whether you drink Ommegang or Anheuser-Busch, Sam Adams or Pilsner Urquell, chances are it’s brewed with a noble hop or variety from this area. Crack open a brewing science textbook and look how controlled and idiosyncratic every step is, so that each beer tastes like it should. But without the quality ingredients, it would all be for nothing. I don’t claim to know much, but I know I don’t want to leave shitty beer for future generations — even if all they drink is Natural light.
How to help? Anyone can do an Internet search on how to slash their carbon footprint, but here at Progressive Wednesdays we respect our themes, and this Wednesday’s theme happens to be beer, so by order of the transitive property we must respect beer and say cheers!
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Make Progress:
I’m not going to tell you which beer you should buy here (although we would like to hear some recommendations), but anyone will tell you that buying local will reduce your impact on the environment. Cases of liquid are quite heavy, and long shipping distances is something we could do without. Chances are you have a local brewery, microbrewery or nanobrewery near you, and they’re not shipping it across borders to get it to you. Visit them, pull up a stool, and try out their taps. Drinking draft beer eliminates energy consuming steps, and everything – the keg, the glass, the lines, and tap – is reused. Buy growlers and get them refilled. Be sure to ask them how often they clean their lines too. Some bars are forgetful, and the beer suffers.
Ask your favorite restaurants to carry local beers, that way small businesses can work together, and you’ll help pump money through your hometown. I’ve found a few partnerships like this, where the brewmaster makes a custom beer to pair with a restaurant’s entrée. What better way to enjoy a beer than that?
If your local brewery doesn’t have what you like, ask them to consider brewing up a batch (some breweries do small batch brewing too). You’d be surprised how receptive they are. You’ll have to be patient though, them yeast need to do their thing.
Don’t have a local brewery near you or you do, but you don’t dig it? I made a shortlist of some brands that use sustainable brewing techniques. Some are better than others, but hey, every effort counts….
- Brooklyn Brewery. 100% wind-powered brewery. First NYC company to convert to wind power completely.
- Long Trail. Great line of Eco-Brews.
- Hopworks. Probably the best exemplar of a sustainable brewery, building, and company. Hopworks of Portland, OR is proof that a small brewery can afford and even profit on going green.
- New Belgium. Don’t really know where to start. New Belguim was the first completely wind powered brewery. Their kettles trap steam during the brewing process to reuse. They even use shelving made from trees killed by invasive species. Got to love those bikes, too.
- Sierra Nevada. So many things to say about these folks. They have a “powertracker” that shows in real time how much energy they save.
If your relatives only drink commercial brews then we condone it, but man, just click here to give them some flavor in their lives.
The least mentioned, but most obvious ingredient in beer is water, and conserving it is a key step to an environmentally sustainable brewery or home. Why conserve water? It saves energy and cash, silly. This video covers a wide range of water conserving tips in the household. There are even seven suggestions that won’t cost a penny, so you can save up for more beer. If it’s already out of the faucet, use the extra water to grow a hop garden up the side of your place – your nose will thank you.
Have a favorite beer but you don’t know if they’re making an effort? Write them an email and ask what they’re doing to save energy and keep a sustainable environment. We’re not talking about donations or charity (although that’s a plus), we’re talking about their brewing process, their building, and their distribution. Send them a link to one of the great examples of environmental breweries above. Remember you’re their livelihood. They’ll listen.
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