Appealing to eco-friendly tastes: Colorado breweries find value, fulfillment in sustainability push.

• Author: Dano, Mike
• Position: ENERGY REPORT

MORE THAN a decade ago, the employees of what was then a fledging brewery in Fort Collins took a vote: Would they get their profit-sharing earnings that year, or would they instead put that money toward a 10-year investment in wind energy?

"It was really a defining moment for us," Katie Wallace says now.

Wallace, assistant director of sustainability at New Belgium Brewing Co., says the vote was unanimously in favor of the wind energy investment--and was untainted by possible influence from the company's owners, who stepped out while New Belgium's employees cast their votes. Wallace says the brewery was founded in 1991 partly on principles of sustainability and environmental friendliness. "All of us wanted to be a part of that," she says in explaining the vote. "That's the culture that we work within."

Today, New Belgium is one of many Colorado brewers that have embraced a green approach to business. At New Belgium and other Colorado beer businesses, recycling, renewable energy and other earth friendly practices are de rigueur.

Indeed, Wallace says that New Belgium's founders conceived of the company on a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, and one of their "core values" was that their business should operate along the same guidelines that conscientious people use--meaning, it shouldn't be harmful to the environment.

"Having fun is one of our core values," Wallace explained. "If it's not fun, it's not sustainable. Fear and guilt only motivate for so long. [So the founders decided that] we're going to have to make it fun and enjoyable if we want people to stick with it."

According to Bart Watson, staff economist for the Brewer's Association, "Efforts vary by company, but water usage and sustainability are important for brewers. Regardless of their size, it's a good business decision."

He laid out three primary reasons why the craft beer community has invested its time, money and energy into environmental practices and policies:

1. High-quality beer requires high-quality ingredients, such as clean water.

2. The audience for craft beer falls into a higher socio-economic group, is more educated than the average beer drinker, and tends to be interested in environmental issues.

3. Craft breweries are tied to their geographies and are locally focused, thus they tend to support those environments.

To Watson's first point: Jules Masters, Asher Brewing Co.'s "master of mischief and organizer of others" (yes, that's her official title) says that...