Beer or wine?

Which is greener, beer or wine? Well, according to Umbra, it turns out the answer is not so simple.

It turns out that, for wine, the size of the container and the method/distance of transport are the big variables. Therefore, we should all be buying magnums from local vineyards (twist my arm). However, studies of beer show that refrigeration in open coolers at stores is a big factor. This means that consumers can help by drinking local brews (fun!), shopping for unrefrigerated beer (meh), brewing their own beer (fun!), and taking large containers of beer home from the local brewery(really fun!).

The take home point is that the emissions for a bottle of wine or a six-pack of beer are small compared to the most important factor: how you obtain the beverage. For you as a sipper/chugger of beer and wine, the biggest factor is likely your own transport to the adult beverages. Keep that in mind next time you head to the bar.