Environmentally Friendly Beer and a Local Brewery Wins Gold

Outside magazine's Will McGough published an article titled Yes You Can (Drink More Environmentally Responsible Beer)

Growing up outside of Philadelphia, it was never much of a decision. There were no mountains to climb. We lived the city life and my upbringing was simple: Good beer came in a bottle, crap came in a can.

Before that, the crap beer came in brown bottles and premium beer (think imports like Heineken) came in green bottles (only in the US).  Until they realized the sunlight being emitted through the green bottles skunked the hops.

Bottles have long ruled the craft brew scene in the United States. But that's changing, largely thanks to Dale Katechis, founder of Longmont, Colorado-based brewery Oskar Blues.

I have seen a few others, but Dales Pale Ale definitely comes to mind when I think of craft beer in a can.

Replacing glass with aluminum cuts shipping costs by a third, according to Oskar Blues' research. Oskar Blues fits 100 cases of canned beer on a single pallet, where it could only put 60 cases of bottled beer. The weight of each loaded pallet is the same, but the significantly higher volume on a pallet of cans means transportation costs are lower, as are carbon emissions generated throughout the beer's supply chain.

Regardless of whether an aluminium can or bottle is ultimately better for the environment, cutting shipping costs by a third translates to huge savings for the brewery.  People are "going green" so to say.  Its an example of good marketing regardless of the actual intention.

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Ryan Sharrow of Baltimore Business Journal wrote about a brewery from my home town winning gold at Great American Beer Festival:

Union Craft Brewing Co., the year-old Baltimore craft beer maker, won a sought-after gold medal at the recent Great American Beer Festival in Denver.

The Clipper Mill brewer’s Balt Altbier took the top prize in the German-Style Altbier category.

Union describes the Balt Altbier as “an old-world German-style copper ale that is malty and aromatic.”

I am embarrassed to say I haven't been to this brewery or tasted their beers.  Nor have I even seen their beers in any stores.  I will have to see if I can get a hold of some this weekend!