Environmentally Friendly Beer?

I’m not sure how big a piece of the pollution pie beer takes but Goose Island seems to think it’s enough to create a new, environmentally friendly beer:

(Crain’s) — Goose Island Beer Co. plans to unveil a new Green Line Pale Ale on Monday to highlight its drive to create a more environmentally friendly brewing business.

The lighter American pale ale will be the Chicago-based brewer’s 26th beer and will be available at 50 restaurants and bars throughout the area, CEO John Hall said.

“It’s a little hoppy, but it’s something we feel most people will feel comfortable drinking,” Mr. Hall said. “It’s really a statement of our company’s values and connecting with people.”

He said a group of employees suggested the brewery try to reduce its carbon footprint. The new brew will only be featured in kegs to try to eliminate the need for glass bottles.

[...]

The beer will likely appeal to those looking to try a new brew or people who are passionate about the environment, said Darren Tristano, an executive vice-president at Technomic Inc., a Chicago-based food and beverage consultant.

“It’s a very narrow niche of people they are going after, but it will be good for their brand,” Mr. Tristano said. “It’s a good move because it helps differentiate your brand. We have seen a trend toward companies being more environmentally friendly, but unfortunately it comes at a cost, and the trend has slowed in the last year.”

To this amateur beer connoisseur (who is, yes, 21 and over) I have a feeling that this is more an effort by Goose Island to distinguish its product rather than save the environment. I mean, I’m sure there are practices within the beer industry that could be more environmentally friendly but —and correct me if I’m wrong— breweries simply aren’t the biggest threat to the environment.

Now, if you’re a beer company like Goose Island with a heart of gold it might make sense to clean up your brewing practices. I think a stronger incentive for these companies would be to try and take an otherwise ignored market. In this case, that’s environmentally conscious beer drinkers that the big alcohol companies probably don’t pay too much attention to. The possibility for Goose Island to conquer that market is probably enough of a reason for it to make a beer tailored specifically to them.

–Daniel Strauss