greendrinks
.
Beer
The Road
to Brewtopia
by Ashwin Sodhi
Nearly two decades ago, beverage vi-
over quantity, they are the fastest growing seg-
sionary and Beer School author Steve Hindy
ment of the beverage industry. While macro-
made a decision that would help change the
brewery growth stagnates, craft breweries
way New Yorkers drank beer.
enjoyed an unparalleled 58 percent increase
“You want me to do what?” asked Broo-
in sales between 2003 and 2007.
klyn Brewery’s first head brewer. “I want you
Having achieved a sustainable level of
to brew the best-tasting beer you can, wha-
success, they’re taking an opportunity to
tever the cost,” replied Hindy, the company’s
once again change the way their customers
president and co-founder.
think about beer. No longer bemuddled by
For the brewer, it was an unusual re-
finding their niche in the market, Hindy and
quest, one he had never heard before. He
a few upstart brewers are refocusing their
came from a tradition of beer-making that
energy on, well, energy itself.
had been dominated by large-scale produ-
A handful of craft pioneers are reinvesting
cers - macrobreweries like Anheuser-Busch,
their profits in green power, and, in doing so,
Miller and Coors - whose light-tasting, mar-
expanding what it means for everyday imbi-
keting-heavy beers accounted for 19 of every
bers to drink responsibly. They’re powering
20 beers sold in the US during the ’80s.
their operations with wind, solar, and bio,
But over the next twenty years, rogue
energy, and finding new ways to recycle and
“craft brewers” (Hindy and his upstart
reuse their waste, all despite the fact that it is
Brooklyn Brewery among them) would gain
getting more expensive to do so. Shortages
ground by using macrobrewery production
of grains and hops, coupled with increasingly
as a foil. They insisted the title craft beer
hostile competition from larger conglomera-
be used to differentiate breweries that were
tes has put a pinch on their efforts.
small (producing less than 2 million barrels
On principle though, they forge on.
annually), independent and dedicated to
“Alternative energies are costly,” Hindy says,
using 100 percent taste-centric ingredients.
“but we think it’s the right thing to do.”
Today, because of that insistence on quality
This year, Brooklyn Brewery will produce
42 OUR GREEN BOOK
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