"Green" Beer

No, no, no...not beer that's colored green (though we all know St. Patty's is right around the corner), but beer that's organic and environmentally friendly. Because work is killing me right now and I don't have time to research my own post (yes, I'm admitting it), I borrowed today's post from Ideal Bite.

IB recommends the following green beer choices:

• Eel River - The IPA or Amber comes highly recommended.
• Wolaver's - This is the best-selling in the US, for good reason - the taste.
• Samuel Smith - the old English fave now has organic brews.
• Stone Mill Pale Ale - nice and light, but not without a bite.
• Wild Hop Lager - a refreshing lager from the makers of Bud.
• Seven Bridges - brew your own with easy-to-use kits ($26-38).
• The Complete Joy of Homebrewing - from pilseners to porters, learn how to brew it all at home ($10).

Having brewed beer with my grad school roommate, I can definitely attest to the fact that it's no only fun, but you can end up with some really delicious (and occasionally not so delicious) brews. Also, the following info tidbits are ALL great reasons to choose organic:

• Convenience. Even the big guys like Anheuser-Busch have started selling their own organic brews.
• Cheers to your health. A 2003 FDA study found about 17% of barley and 32% of wheat products sampled had pesticide residues...ewwwww. We prefer the less than 5% offered by organic beer.
• Smaller microbreweries like Wolaver's have made a commitment to sustainable agriculture. Organic farming reduces topsoil erosion - 1/3 of which has disappeared due to modern farming.
• And the BEST part about organic beer...most organic brews compare in price to regular microbrews (about $8/6-pack). It may not win the price war against that Natty Light you were eying, but it will at least tie the Dogfish Head. And if more of us buy organic, it will drive prices down even more.

Buying LOCAL beer is also vastly preferable, and you win the prize if you're drinking local, organic brewskis. So, tomorrow when you're drinking your green pints, look for "green" green pints and do both the earth and your taste buds a favor.