Wednesday, May 07, 2008

What is organic beer? (Washington Post)

Parrot, Organic, and Loose Cannon PirateThe Washington Post has an article today (6 May 2008) on organic beers, written by Beer columnist Greg Kitsock.

Some interesting points:

  • According to the Organic Trade Association, 2006 sales of organic beers (1% of the craft beer segment) were $25 million, up 32% over 2005.
  • Organic malt, according to Hugh Sisson of Clipper City Brewing (Baltimore, Maryland), costs double that of 'regular' malt.
  • Until recently, most organic hops came from New Zealand. That is changing.
  • According to the USDA, 95% of the dry weight of an organic beer, excluding the hops, must be certified organic.

The rest of the piece: There's a Tinge of Green in the Glass.


-----more-----
  • The featured beer in the piece is Oxford Organic Raspberry Wheat brewed by the Clipper City Brewing Company, of Baltimore, Maryland (by whom I was employed at the time).
  • UPDATE 2009: The brewery, now known as Heavy Seas, discontinued its line of organic beers in 2009.

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