Brewing beer is more complicated than you might think (and it’s not always environmentally-friendly). New Belgium is looking to change that, but at least for today, it’ll cost you $100 for a 6-pack.
New Belgium Brewing’s Fat Tire Amber Ale has been around since 1991. Now, thanks to the brewery’s added sustainability efforts, it’s the first carbon-neutral certified beer in the U.S.
Fat Tire’s carbon neutral status was certified by a third party (SCS Global Services) using the international PAS 2060 standard. It’s the first nationally-distributed beer to earn this carbon-neutral certification. The brewery factored in both upstream and downstream emissions to calculate how much energy it takes to produce their beer.
Of course, reducing waste and using renewable energy isn’t enough. New Belgium also purchases carbon offsets relevant to its supply chain. The offsets (sometimes called carbon taxes) counter the emissions released by producing, packaging, and distributing beer.
In the same press release, New Belgium Brewing also announced its goal to make the entire brewing company carbon neutral by 2030. That means creating more sustainable brewing practices, diverting waste, using wind and solar energy at facilities, and more. Climate action is core to this outdoorsy brewing co.’s business model, and it shows.
$100 Price Tag: What’s the Deal?
In past years, New Belgium has teamed up with organizations like 1% for the Planet and Protect our Winters to raise awareness on climate change. For this milestone, New Belgium is taking a more serious approach: it’s raising the price of the carbon-neutral-beer. Essentially, the price hike reflects what the cost of beer could be in the future if climate action isn’t taken seriously.
“To drive action and raise awareness, New Belgium will voluntarily hike the price of Fat Tire 6-packs to $100 today (on International Beer Day),” wrote New Belgium in its press release. And none of us want that.
“To avoid living in a world where a six-pack of beer costs $100, Fat Tire’s goal is to inspire other breweries and industries in becoming more sustainable.” To learn about carbon neutrality and how to get involved, visit www.drinksustainably.com.
New Belgium was also the first wind-powered brewery in the United States and established the first carbon footprint study for beer.