Sip Northwest, Spring 2019
G I V I N G B A C K Life Sustaining Liquid Local Producers Rally to Support Clean Water for Beer and Cider BY MARGARETT WATERBURY 76 S I P N O R T H W E S T C O M Without water life would cease to exist on this planet worse thered be no beer Sister organizations OREGON BREWSHED ALLIANCE and WASHINGTON BREWSHED ALLIANCE were formed to organize breweries around a cause dear to every beer drinkers heart whether they know it or not clean water The duo is a project of Oregon Wild and Washington Wild environmental organizations dedicated to protecting and restoring Northwest wilderness wildlife and waters through legislative advocacy Beer is about 90 percent water but thats just part of the water used in the brewing process Cleaning equipment rinsing cans or kegs and cooling hot wort all take water too For every gallon of beer produced the brewing industry estimates it needs six to eight gallons of water Oregons brewing industry is water intense meaning clean fresh water resources are needed to make beer here says Julia Person corporate sustainability manager at WIDMER BROTHERS in Portland The company was a founding member of the Oregon Brewshed Alliance in 2015 Before that brothers Kurt and Rob Widmer partnered with Oregon Wild in 2009 to help protect Portlands Bull Run watershed from unnecessary chemical treatment It was that partnership that sparked the idea that breweries have a vested interest in ensuring the amount and quality of water so we should form an alliance to work together to protect our forests and our watershed says Marielle Cowdin outreach and marketing coordinator at Oregon Wild Today the Oregon and Washington Brewshed Alliances have 120 members including breweries cideries bars maltsters kombucha makers and sake brewers What does it mean to be a member Weve left it flexible Cowdin says Producer members are asked to donate product to annual Brewshed Brewfests in Seattle Portland and Eugene Oregon but beyond that members are free to choose the ways in which they participate PORTLAND CIDER CO the first cidery to join the Oregon Brewshed Alliance makes an annual cider called Oregon Wild created entirely from donated backyard apples All of the net proceeds last year around 5000 are donated to the namesake organization ICICLE BREWING CO in Leavenworth Washington hosts an annual fundraiser for Washington Wild each June Representatives from the group visit the brewery to talk about their work and Icicle Brewing donates 25 percent of sales Widmer Brothers demonstrates its commitment through ongoing conservation efforts at the brewery itself Last year they unveiled an industry first a water free vacuum pump on its bottling line as well as a water free rinsing system that uses ionized air to clean cans and bottles before theyre filled Thanks to these initiatives and others like them Person says SECOND FROM LEFT PHOTO COURTESY OF HOPWORKS TOP MIDDLE AND RIGHT PHOTOS COURTESY OF PORTLAND CIDER CO
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