The 15 Most Sustainable Beers For The Beach

The sun is high, the waves are crashing, and the cooler is packed. It’s the quintessential summer beach party. But this year, let’s add a new element to the mix: sustainability. As you reach for a cold one, imagine that your beer choice could help protect the very oceans you’re enjoying.

The craft beer revolution has not only brought us an incredible array of flavors but also a growing movement of breweries dedicated to environmental stewardship. These pioneers are proving that you can produce world-class beer while being kind to the planet. So, get ready to impress your friends with more than just your frisbee skills.

1. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (Chico, CA & Mills River, NC)

A titan in the craft beer world, Sierra Nevada is also a giant in sustainability. Their commitment is legendary, and their scale of operations makes their efforts incredibly impactful.

One of their most impressive feats is their extensive use of solar energy. Their Chico brewery boasts one of the largest privately-owned solar installations in the U.S., with over 10,000 panels generating 2 megawatts of power. Their Mills River location is a LEED Platinum certified facility, the highest certification for green building.

Sierra Nevada diverts an astounding 99.8% of its solid waste from landfills through extensive recycling, composting, and reuse programs.

Their iconic Pale Ale is not only a craft beer classic but is brewed with these sustainable practices. For a summer treat, look for their seasonal Summerfest, a crisp and refreshing pilsner.

2. New Belgium Brewing Company (Fort Collins, CO & Asheville, NC)

Home of the beloved Fat Tire, New Belgium has been a leader in sustainability since its inception. They are a certified B Corporation, meaning they meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance.

In 2021, they made waves by making their flagship Fat Tire Amber Ale the first nationally distributed carbon-neutral beer in the United States. This was a massive undertaking, requiring a complete life-cycle analysis of the beer’s carbon footprint and the purchase of carbon offsets.

New Belgium has been tracking its greenhouse gas emissions since 2004 and has a long history of investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Grab a six-pack of Fat Tire and toast to carbon neutrality. Their Voodoo Ranger line of IPAs is also brewed with the same commitment to sustainability.

3. Allagash Brewing Company (Portland, ME)

This Belgian-style brewery from Maine is another certified B Corp that takes sustainability to heart. Their focus on water conservation is particularly noteworthy.

Allagash has invested in a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment system that not only cleans their wastewater but also captures the methane produced during the process to generate electricity.

They use an impressive 3.4 gallons of water to produce one gallon of beer, which is about half the industry average. They also source over 1 million pounds of their grain from local Maine farmers.

Their flagship Allagash White, a refreshing witbier, is perfect for a hot day. Also, look for their beers brewed with locally sourced ingredients, which further reduces their carbon footprint.

4. Alaskan Brewing Company (Juneau, AK)

Brewing in the pristine environment of Alaska provides a daily reminder of the importance of protecting nature. Alaskan Brewing has risen to the challenge with some truly unique innovations.

Their most famous innovation is their “beer-powered beer.” They were the first craft brewery in the U.S. to install a CO2 recapture system in 1998, and they have since perfected a system that uses their spent grain as fuel for their steam boiler.

Their CO2 recapture system prevents over a million pounds of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere annually. Their spent grain boiler has reduced their overall oil consumption by more than 50%.

Their Alaskan Amber Ale is a classic, and their Icy Bay IPA is a refreshing choice for a summer day, all brewed with their groundbreaking sustainable technology.

5. Toast Ale (London, UK & New York, NY)

This brewery has a simple yet brilliant mission: to fight food waste by brewing beer with surplus bread.

Toast Ale partners with bakeries to rescue unsold loaves that would otherwise be thrown away. They replace a portion of the virgin barley in their recipes with this bread, directly tackling the massive problem of food waste.

Since their founding, Toast Ale has saved over 2 million slices of bread from landfills, saved hundreds of thousands of liters of water, and avoided tons of CO2 emissions. They also donate 100% of their profits to charities fighting food waste.

Their American Pale Ale and Session IPA are not only delicious but also a direct contribution to a more sustainable food system.

6. Hopworks Urban Brewery (Portland, OR)

As a certified B Corporation and the first Salmon-Safe certified brewery in the world, Hopworks is deeply committed to protecting the environment of the Pacific Northwest.

Their Salmon-Safe certification means that their operations and ingredient sourcing protect the water quality and habitat of a keystone species in their region. They are also known for their use of organic and locally sourced ingredients.

90% of their hops are Salmon-Safe certified, and they use a high percentage of USDA-certified organic ingredients in their beers.

Their Tree Frog Organic Pale Ale is a great choice for the eco-conscious beer drinker, and their seasonal offerings often feature fresh, local ingredients.

7. Brooklyn Brewery (Brooklyn, NY)

This iconic New York brewery has been a quiet leader in sustainability, weaving it into the fabric of their operations.

Brooklyn Brewery is a major proponent of renewable energy, sourcing 100% of its electricity from wind power for its brewery and headquarters. They are also pioneers in using innovative, sustainable ingredients.

Their commitment to wind power significantly reduces their carbon footprint.

They have been at the forefront of brewing with Fonio, a climate-resistant West African grain. Look for their "Fonio Rising" series of beers for a taste of sustainable innovation.

8. Athletic Brewing Company (Stratford, CT & San Diego, CA)

Proving that sustainability is for everyone, Athletic Brewing is the leader in the non-alcoholic craft beer space and a certified B Corp.

Their "Two for the Trails" program donates 2% of all sales to trail and park maintenance projects across the country. This is a direct investment in the natural spaces that their active and outdoorsy customer base enjoys.

As a B Corp, they meet high standards of environmental and social performance. In 2023, they installed 60,000 square feet of solar panels at their San Diego brewery.

Their Run Wild IPA and Upside Dawn Golden Ale are perfect for those who want a refreshing, non-alcoholic option without compromising on their commitment to sustainability.

9. Pure Project (San Diego, CA)

As their name suggests, Pure Project is dedicated to purity in their beer and in their business practices. They are a 1% for the Planet member and are committed to becoming carbon neutral.

Pure Project is a leader in using regeneratively grown ingredients. They have partnered with Patagonia Provisions to brew with Kernza, a perennial grain that has deep roots, which helps to build soil health and sequester carbon.

They donate 1% of all sales to environmental non-profits and are transparent about their sustainability journey on their website.

Look for their beers brewed with Kernza, like their Kernza Lager. Their use of local and organic ingredients, like the organic oranges in their Tropical Mist, also makes their beers a sustainable choice.

10. Great Lakes Brewing Company (Cleveland, OH)

A pioneer of the craft beer movement in the Midwest, Great Lakes has a long and storied history of sustainability.

Their commitment to their local community and environment is evident in their support of local farms and their innovative "waste as opportunity" philosophy. They send their spent grain to local farms for animal feed and have a robust composting program.

They publish an annual sustainability report that details their progress in areas like water stewardship, waste reduction, and community engagement.

Their Dortmunder Gold Lager is a classic, and their seasonal Eliot Ness Amber Lager is another great choice.

11. Anderson Valley Brewing Company (Boonville, CA)

Nestled in the beautiful Anderson Valley of Northern California, this brewery has been a solar pioneer for years.

In 2005, Anderson Valley became the world's first solar-powered brewery. Their solar array provides a significant portion of their electricity needs.

The solar array has a peak output of 125 kilowatts, a massive amount for a craft brewery.

Their Boont Amber Ale is a classic, and their fruit-infused goses, like their Blood Orange Gose, are perfect for a summer day, all brewed with the power of the sun.

12. BrewDog (Ellon, Scotland & various locations)

This punk-rock brewery from Scotland is known for its bold beers and even bolder sustainability goals. While they have recently shifted their approach, their ambition has pushed the industry forward.

BrewDog has invested heavily in reforestation, purchasing a large tract of land in the Scottish Highlands to create the "BrewDog Forest." While their "carbon negative" claim has been a topic of debate, their efforts to sequester carbon are significant.

They have planted millions of trees and are focused on reducing their emissions at the source.

Their Punk IPA is their flagship beer, and they offer a wide range of creative and experimental brews.

13. Eel River Brewing Company (Fortuna, CA)

This humble brewery from Humboldt County has a massive claim to fame: they were the first certified organic brewery in the United States.

Eel River has been committed to organic brewing since 1999. Their brewing facility is powered by 100% biomass renewable energy, and they have their own wastewater pre-treatment facility.

Their commitment to organic ingredients and renewable energy makes them a leader in sustainable brewing.

Their Organic Amber Ale was the first of its kind, and their entire lineup of beers is certified organic.

14. Lakefront Brewery (Milwaukee, WI)

This Milwaukee brewery is another certified B Corp that has been a quiet leader in sustainability for decades.

Lakefront was the first brewery in the U.S. to be certified organic, back in 1996. They have a long list of sustainability initiatives, from using compostable cups in their taproom to installing a heat recovery system to reduce their energy consumption.

They publish an annual B Corp impact report, which details their progress in sustainability. Their solar panels produce a significant amount of their electricity, reducing their CO2 emissions by over 56 tons in 2019.

They brew a Kristalweizen with Kernza, combining the sustainable grain with a classic German style. Their Riverwest Stein is another excellent choice.

15. Aslan Brewing Co. (Bellingham, WA)

This Pacific Northwest brewery is a certified B Corp that is deeply committed to organic brewing and protecting its local ecosystem.

Aslan is a member of the Brewshed Alliance, an initiative to protect the watersheds that provide the water for their beer. They also use Salmon-Safe certified ingredients, ensuring that their beer is not harming the local salmon population.

All of their beer is USDA certified organic, and they are transparent about their sustainability practices on their website.

Any of their organic beers are a great choice. Their support of local, sustainable agriculture makes them a true champion of their region.