Goose Island Beer Company out of Chicago recently released their Green Line Pale Ale, which is a beer aimed at reducing Goose Island’s environmental impact. The plan? Only serve it on draft. Thats right folks, going green now means serving your beer only on draft to save all the packaging. Congrats Blackfoot, you’ve been green for years!

Besides forgoing bottles and other packaging, the brewery says the city-only distribution will reduce the transportation and refrigeration footprint and the tap handles have been crafted from reclaimed ash trees killed by the ash borer in Wilmette. (We’ll give the brewery a pass for producing a line of “Green Line” pint glasses — their production and transportation couldn’t have been terribly eco-friendly).

Although I commend the effort and thought of Goose Island, people will still be drinking their beer out of bottles and simply selling a certain beer on draft doesn’t really reduce the environmental impact of the brewery itself. Perhaps if it stop bottling altogether or started emphasizing growlers instead of six packs. It was a good idea, but nothing like Kona’s efforts or many of the other craft breweries around the country. They say its the thought that counts, but not really when it comes to our environment, then it does take actions!

Full Story

Not too long ago, I wrote a post about some of the most eco-friendly breweries in the nation. Now, it looks like we can add another to the list.

Central Waters Brewery in Amherst, Wisc., has been able to double its beer production without spending any more on natural gas after installing a solar water heater, reports Central Wisconsin Hub.

The solar water heating system is projected to meet 18 percent of the brewery’s hot water needs and save $1.4 million over its 30-year life span.

Not only is this great for the environment, but it’s also a great sign that a brewery can make more money and more beer while still remaining green. Some of the other methods for making a brewery more environmentally efficient aren’t exactly the cheapest, and it should be said that Central Waters got the help of a state grant for 25% of the funding, but that Central Waters is actually saving money while making more beer creates quite a precedent about the need and benefit of operating with solar power. Cheers to Central Waters Brewery for doing something that hopefully starts an avalanche of copy-cat procedures.

Environmental Leader — For Brewery, Solar Water Heater Means Twice as Much Beer for Same Energy Cost