7 Oregon Breweries Pledge Support To Clean Energy Economy

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Joanna Evoniuk, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Seven Oregon microbreweries are joining beer makers around the country to pledge support to creating a cleaner environment and calling on policy makers to do the same.

Buoy Beer Company, Deschutes Brewery, Fort George Brewery and Public House, Hopworks Urban Brewery, Ninkasi Brewing Company, Wet Dog Café & Brewery and Widmer Brothers Brewing signed the Brewery Climate Declaration to draw attention to the risks climate change will have on the $256 billion industry.

“We believe that a strong economy and a stable climate go hand in hand,” said Jenn Vervier, director of strategy and sustainability at New Belgium Brewery in Colorado.

“We’ve committed to make our business sustainable, and it’s more important than ever that businesses engage with policy makers to support forward think climate and energy policies.”

Brewers are concerned about warmer temperatures and extreme weather events harming the production of hops for their craft.

Many of the national and local brewers who signed the Climate Declaration are taking steps to lower their carbon footprint, such as measuring greenhouse gas emissions and becoming LEED certified.

Deschutes Brewery uses 100 percent renewable energy to generate electricity and was the first craft brewery to make its carbon footprint publicly available, while Ninkasi Brewing has installed on-site solar arrays.

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Wynkoop Brewery Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout

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Beer store clerk: Um, it tastes like Turkish Delight.

Me: Um, okay. What is Turkish Delight?

Clerk: Just try it.

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