Breweries like dozens of other industries in the last several years have started making the move towards a sustainable future by switching to all organic ingredients. Leaving pesticides, additives, and petroleum-based fertilizers in the past, embracing natural farming techniques that produce a better tasting beer in many people’s eyes. Picking the right brand of organic beer can be tough, with the list of breweries offering their own unique organic brew growing all the time. So to make the choice easier we have put together a handy list of the top five organic beers around.
Top 5 Best Organic Beer Brands – [year_shortcode]
5. Samuel Smith’s Brewery
An English Brewery that was founded in 1758 Samuel Smith’s has been dedicated to keeping the environment clean longer than almost any company you’ll find. They employ one of the last active teams of dray horses in the world who deliver beer five days a week to keep down on air pollution. Recently they stepped things up with the creation of new organic beers like their organic cherry and strawberry ales. They both offer an exciting organic flavor that will remind you of a fruit flavored soda with a bit of tartness thrown in. It’s a mix of flavors that no other brewery can offer.
4. Butte Creek Brewing
A craft brewer located in California, Butte Creek has been doing their best to set a standard for how organic beer should be made. All of their brews are organic, certified by California Certified Organic Farmers organization (CCOF) who ensure every beer they make meets USDA organic standards. They’ve done an impressive job of leading the charge on organic beers as well as making them taste great. A portion of their proceeds goes towards the conservation of Chinook salmon for future generations to enjoy along with their beers.
3. Fish Brewing Company
Distributed under the names Leavenworth Beers, Fish Tale Ales, and Spire Mountain Cider Fish Brewing Company has proven their dedication not only to providing quality beer but doing it sustainably. Known for their Wild Salmon Pale Ale with its malty flavor and bitter finish this brewery is a growing favorite among Pacific Northwest beer drinkers. They’re also a big hit with local dairy farmers who receive their spent grain to feed their cows that produce the milk for cheese sold at local farmers markets. Fish Brewing has even found a way to recycle the water used during their cooling process throughout the brewery!
2. Eel River Brewing Company
Another California organic beer producer, Eel River has become renowned for their Triple Exultation and other craft beers. Their organic beers catch drinkers off guard with their deep flavors and color like you would expect to see on tap at an English pub. Eel River is a picture of organic production, based out of an old lumber mill that is biomass powered. They also purchase all of their ingredients from local farmers to empower sustainability and strengthen markets. Their organic beers like the Triple Exultation with a 9.7% ABV are a great way to kick off your weekend or relax at the end of the day.
1. Bison Brewing Company
A Berkeley, California based company Bison Brewing is driven by the idea that you don’t have to give everyday pleasures in order to go green. They’ve also proven that an organic beer can stand up to the stiffest competition with offerings like the Bison Brewing Organic I.P.A. Their organic beers often break the mold of style, providing flavors beyond anything you would expect from an I.P.A. or traditional ale. They have also found unique ways of promoting sustainable methods of farming and other green movements with their promotional programs. Educating consumers about carbon footprinting and other important issues through their “Drink Neutral” program.
These are only five of the great organic beer producers on the market, there are so many amazing craft breweries experimenting joining the organic beer movement we could never name them all. So we encourage you to try out the offerings from the companies on our list before branching out to find the perfect organic beer for you.