Green Daily

Like drinking beer? Of course you do! Like working to reduce our impact on the environment? Of course you do!

Thankfully, two breweries have made it possible for you to do both.

Brooklyn Brewery was the first New York company to make the switch to wind-generated electricity when they took the plunge in 2003 -- a move that, according to Community Energy (the company that manages the wind-turbine system used by BB), stops 335,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, 1,500 of sulfur and 500 pounds of nitrogen oxide from being emitted into the atmosphere every year. Plus, they make a variety of tasty brews, including Lager, Brown Ale, Weise Beer, IP, Pilsner, and Black Chocolate Stout. Having personally sampled their lager on a number of occasions, I can verify that it is exquisite.

New Belgium Brewing Company reuses their own waste to meet 30% of their factory's power needs, and the other 70% comes from wind power. They make Fat Tire, Sunshine (wheat), Mothership Wit (organic wheat), Blue Paddle (Pilsner-Lager), 1554 (Dark Ale), Abbey (Belgian Style Ale), and Trippel (Belgian Style Ale). Ever since I moved to Texas, where it's 8,000 degrees every day for nine months out of the year, Fat Tire has been my beer of choice. There's something incredibly refreshing about its smooth, totally fulfilling taste. When it finally does get cold outside, I switch to 1554, which is also excellent.

So go green, and drink up!