| I went to my local supermarket just a couple of | | | | be priced higher, in some cases substantially so, than |
| days ago and was somewhat startled to see a | | | | the more familiar competitors. |
| number of "organic" beers offered in the "green" | | | | On the plus side, these patronizing these local |
| section of the store. This got me wondering about | | | | microbreweries have other positive effects for the |
| what the differences are between "organic" and | | | | environment. These include consuming a locally |
| normal beer might be. | | | | produced product which reduce the negative effects |
| It turns out that, in its simplest terms, beer qualifies | | | | of wide area distribution. Further benefits include glass |
| for the organic definition when all the ingredients used | | | | bottles and cardboard containers that are more |
| in the beer brewing recipes have been grown in | | | | readily recyclable than aluminum cans. |
| acceptable "green" fashion. Generally, this means that | | | | There is another way to go organic without paying |
| the hops, barley, and everything else in the recipes | | | | the higher prices and that is to explore brewing your |
| have not been exposed to fertilizers, insecticides, | | | | own beer. There are a number of smaller home beer |
| fungicides, or herbicides. Proponents of this beer | | | | brewing suppliers who offer organic ingredients for |
| brewing method claim that organic beverages taste | | | | the consumer market. Jumping into home brewing |
| better than their larger non-organic competitors. | | | | gives you the ability to brew a beverage specifically |
| Not surprisingly, most organic growers are very small, | | | | for your own taste, allows the reuse of glass bottles |
| with less than 100 acres under cultivation. They also | | | | which reduce waste, and is very inexpensive to get |
| tend to sell their product within a geographically small | | | | started. |
| area, to local microbreweries specializing in offering | | | | If "going green' is important but you don't want to |
| organic products. This limited production and | | | | give up your favorite beverage, take heart; It is now |
| distribution prevent any meaningful economies of | | | | possible to enjoy excellent beer without unduly |
| scale with, in turn, will mean that these offerings will | | | | harming the environment. |