Earth Day is right around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than by raising a glass to some of the eco-friendly New York craft breweries putting sustainability at the forefront?
Let's check out some breweries that prove great beer and environmental responsibility make the perfect pairing and are leading the way when it comes to sustainability:
Plan Bee Farm Brewery: Poughkeepsie, NY
Based in Poughkeepsie, NY, Plan Bee Farm Brewery started with a dream to create a 100% sustainable brewery. Their beers go from “ground to glass” with many of their ingredients sourced directly from their own farm. They cultivate yeast from their honeycomb and grain and hops from their fields, and if not using ingredients directly from their farm, then from local resources in the Hudson Valley. Their goal is to work with local businesses to produce delicious product for the community they serve.
Sing Sing Kill Brewery: Ossining, NY
Sing Sing Kill Brewery has built sustainable practices into every aspect of its brewery and taproom from their start. They have an electric brewhouse that sources 100% of its electricity from renewable resources within NYS and uses locally sourced equipment for their brewhouse and cellaring vessels. They also commit to using water conservation practices to produce better than average water consumption than most breweries.
See the full list of ways they are incorporating sustainability into their brewing practices
Brooklyn Brewery: Brooklyn, NY
Brooklyn Brewery has aimed to be a leader in green practices, founding a ‘Green Team’ in 2013 to help keep its commitment to these initiatives. From recycling their spent grain, to converting the lighting in their Brewhouse and Packaging Hall to LEDs to reduce energy use, to supporting community organizations that champion sustainability and green efforts, they continue to look for new ways to ensure they operate as 'green' as possible.
See the full list of initiatives and projects they have implemented over the years
A Commitment to Sustainability Practices
As noted by the New York State Brewers Association, sustainable brewing is the key to maintaining a healthy planet and craft beer industry. They are currently working on a sustainability resource page for NYS breweries to use as a reference.
If you’re a craft brewer committed to sustainability practices, you can submit them to the NYSBA via this form.
Supporting Sustainability in the Craft Beer Industry
By choosing beers from breweries committed to sustainable practices, you're not just treating your taste buds, you're supporting businesses that care about our environment's future. Now that's something worth toasting to.
So grab a locally-brewed, earth-friendly pint this weekend. Because when sustainability is on tap, everybody wins. Cheers!
