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Sustainable business practices continue to influence industries from sea to shining sea. Brewing is no exception to this movement. In recent years, American beer-makers have altered their production lines to incorporate all sorts of green technologies and techniques. In 2008, California's Sierra Nevada added one of the largest private solar arrays in the country to its headquarters in Chico, helping the company net the 2010 "Green Business of the Year" award from the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Portland-based Full Sail Brewing has also recently earned accolades for water efficiency, in addition to its use of renewable energy and recycled materials. Over on the East Coast, the Brooklyn Brewery has drawn headlines for recycling spent-grain and becoming the first company in New York City to use 100 percent wind-generated electricity.
Given the strides that so many in the biz have made, it was tough to pick a winner of this year's GreenLux Award for Greenest American Brewery. Nevertheless, one of them had to come out on top, and the exemplary efforts of New Belgium nudged it above the rest of the pack. This Fort Collins brewery is so committed to its environmental ethos that it hands out cruiser bicycles to its "employee-owners" once they reach their first anniversary at the company. In fact, bikes are the first thing that springs to mind when most people think of New Belgium's Fat Tire brand.
A vintage bicycle graces the label of each bottle of this popular amber ale, harkening back to the European journey that helped inspire the brewery's formation. In 1989, co-founder Jeff Lebesch, then an electrical engineer, decided to visit several of Belgium's famed breweries via a "fat tire" bicycle. When he returned to the states, he used the information he gathered to start a basement brewery with supplies and equipment from an old dairy. With the help of his (now ex) wife Kim Jordan, he began slinging his suds commercially two years later.
From its outset, New Belgium has incorporated environmental practices into its production. The brewery's mission statement reads as follows: "To operate a profitable company which is socially, ethically and environmentally responsible, that produces high-quality beer true to Belgian brewing styles." Since 1993, New Belgium has donated a dollar from every barrel it sells to worthwhile causes. In 1999, the brewery gave $104,000 to charities and non-profits such as the Nature Conservatory.
Flash-forward to 2011. New Belgium's Fort Collins headquarters/brewery is now partially-fueled by wind power. It pays an increased rate for electricity from a local utility provider in order to use the cleanest sources possible. In addition, another 10 percent of New Belgium is powered by methane gas, a bi-product of its on-site water treatment plant. Last year, it added a 200 kW solar panel system to the roof of its Packaging Hall.
The company's headquarters has also incorporated a multitude of environmental standards and design elements. The walls are heavily insulated to retain heat and assist the cooling in storage tanks. Furniture made from recycled bicycle parts can be found in its tasting room. For over a decade, motion detectors have turned off lights in rooms that aren't being used.
Meanwhile, customized mathematical models have helped New Belgium drastically reduce its water usage while an energy-efficient kettle assists in the brewing process, lowering the company's natural gas consumption. The brewery continues to work in Zero Emission standards and practices whenever and wherever possible. A series of statistics on New Belgium's annual "energy intensity," greenhouse emissions and other details are extensively outlined on its website.
If that wasn't enough, New Belgium also encourages healthy-living and environmentally-conscious lifestyles among its employees. In addition to its bicycle program, the company's Green Team, dubbed "The Sustainables," hosts voluntary workshops for workers where they can learn about composting and other earth-friendly activities. The brewery's annual Tour de Fat festival helps spread the word of bike culture across the United States every summer, regaling attendees with parades and vaudeville acts.
According to the company's biography, Kim and Jeff came up with New Belgium's environmentally-conscious business plan during a hike through the Rockies. Two decades later, those early concepts continue to echo through every facet of the brewery's operations.
Needless to say, New Belgium's brews are pretty dang tasty, too.
If that wasn't enough, New Belgium also encourages healthy-living and environmentally-conscious lifestyles among its employees. In addition to its bicycle program, the company's Green Team, dubbed "The Sustainables," hosts voluntary workshops for workers where they can learn about composting and other earth-friendly activities. The brewery's annual Tour de Fat festival helps spread the word of bike culture across the United States every summer, regaling attendees with parades and vaudeville acts.
According to the company's biography, Kim and Jeff came up with New Belgium's environmentally-conscious business plan during a hike through the Rockies. Two decades later, those early concepts continue to echo through every facet of the brewery's operations.
Needless to say, New Belgium's brews are pretty dang tasty, too.