Kew Brew, Organic Beer and Drinking Sustainably
Alex Steffen, 28 Jul 06
We're fans of drinking for a better world here, whether the beverage in question is palm nut beer, organic wine or better-than-fair-trade coffee. Therefore, we can heartily endorse Kew Brew.
Kew Brew is made with varieties of hops grown at the Royal Botanic Gardens. Sales of the beer support Kew's international Millennium Seed Bank Project. Since we're big fans of seed banks, of botanical gardens (which are often now on the frontlines of educating the public about issues of biodiversity - backyard, barnyard or wild) and of beer, we hope some of our UK readers will pop a bottle or two in our stead (and tell us how they like it).
I myself lean towards Samuel Smith's Organic Lager and New Belgium's Blue Paddle Pilsener-Lager (New Belgium's sustainability initiatives kick butt).
What will you be drinking this weekend? Got a favorite you'd like to share?
(Thanks, Geoff: send me a bottle of your Lost Eden Stout when it's ready, eh!)
I have a couple of nice bottles from a local winery, White Hall Vineyards. Not quite organic, but still a good thing.
Posted by: Lyle Solla-Yates on 28 Jul 06
Mill street brewery in Toronto makes a nice organic - it's a bit light, almost watery, but I quite enjoy it and wish it were more widely available, or that others would take up the call (and my $$).
It's available on tap at By the Way Cafe (I love their mediteranian platter with fallafel, though it drives them nuts when I substitute a greek salad).
Posted by: davidm on 28 Jul 06
Alex:
I posted about the very same thing yesterday. It looks to be a great cause, and the Gardens at Kew are well done.
It'll be Negra Modelo! for me this weekend
Posted by: Rick Anderson on 28 Jul 06
I second the Mill St. Brew in Toronto. Im lucky enough to live within bicycling distance of the brewery (just east in the Beaches) so I am able to reduce my carbon emissions by not even having it shipped to a pub! My Patio will do :) If it's raining - i drive my hybrid (in mostly electric mode).
Posted by: Jon on 29 Jul 06
Sam Smith's Tadcaster goes down pretty well too...
http://www.tadcaster.uk.com/breweriesSamuelSmith.htm
Posted by: Francis Battaglia on 30 Jul 06
Some brews to try if you're on the east coast of the US...
I love Wolaver's, brewed in Middlebury, VT. Their oatmeal stout is to die for - summer or winter! I live in Brooklyn, so I also like to go for local Brooklyn Brewery beers...not organic, but they do use wind energy to power their Williamsburg facility.
Posted by: Emily on 1 Aug 06
