Organic Beers are Hot!

Organic Beers are Hot!

For the last several years American beer sales have been either slightly falling or at a standstill. One market where that is not the case is organic beers. Even big-time beer giant Anheuser-Busch came out with two organic beers in 2005. Both of them seem to have met with approval from organic consumers.

The labeling of a product as “organic,” means that it must adhere to certain USDA guidelines which were established for all kinds of organic foods in 1997. Organic beer must abide by these guidelines as well. They state that organic foods must be grown without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and they must be grown in soil that has been free from these kind of chemicals for a minimum of three years.

They further indicate that no genetically modified ingredients (GMO) can be used. Organic foods are supposed to be healthier than their non-organic counterparts. They are also meant to reduce erosion and the pollution of ground water. When there is less groundwater pollution, there are also fewer negative effects on wildlife. A study at Cornell University found that each year sixty-seven million birds alone die from pesticides which are used on American fields.

So, now organic beers, both ales and lagers, are making their way into health stores and supermarkets across the nation. Some people think organic products taste better and this is true of organic beer as well. Organic beer is still only a tiny percentage (less than 1%) of the beers sold, but the future of organic beer looked promising enough to Anheuser-Busch that in 2005 they launched two organic beers into test markets. Those brands were Stone Mill pale ale and Wild Hop lager.

West Coast organic beer, brewed by Peak Organic Brewing Co. in Portland Oregon and Butte Creek Brewing Co. in Chico, California, among others, is starting to spread across the country into more and more states. While a decade ago, you could barely expect organic beer to sell in its home state, today many organic beers are available in 25-30 states.

Otter Creek Brewing Co., on the other U.S. coast, is a Vermont company known for their specialty-brewed ales. They also make Wolaver’s Organic ale and oatmeal stout. They are now one of several New England brewers who see positive results with organic brews and are constantly adding new beers to their selections. Last winter the Wolaver label had a pumpkin spice beer out at Christmastime. 

The biggest problem for breweries that want to go organic is obtaining organic hops. For several years, they could only be acquired from New Zealand. Other countries, such as Germany, are now starting to export organic hops to the U.S.  Pests and diseases abound with organic hops, so there is a low success rate even among growers who give it a try.

More and more craft brewers are adding organic beers to their product list each year. It is a niche in the beer industry that will continue to grow for some time.

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