Environmentally Conscious Breweries- More Attractive to Consumers?

I will say, environmentally conscious breweries are more attractive to environmentally conscious consumers. Too many people just don't give a shit but this is the world we live in.

 

Not any more or less attractive to me.

I'm here for the beer.

As long as it tastes good, I don't care if it's made with organic manure or burning tires.

 

Nice to see, But it doesn't change my purchasing habits.

 

I have to say I do like to see a brewery go out of there way to be environmentally conscious. One of my favorite breweries is Anderson Valley and they fit the bill. Having said that, I probably won't stop drinking a world class beer if it so happens the brewery is not as environmentally friendly. I might feel shitty about it... but I'll still drink it.

 

I earned my BS in Renewable Energy. So yes, I'd have to say they pique my interest. But no, I do not specifically seek them out.

 

It makes a difference to me for sure, but I'll always buy what I wish.

 

I admire the breweries that actively state this and then also actively try to accomplish this. It's not easy task as there are so many steps in the process of making and putting that beer into something where it reaches ya'll where being environmentally conscious come into play that it's not an easy issue to tackle.

 

I'll feel all better about it and all, but I'm with the consensus here - it doesn't factor into my buying decisions, and it's not like I'm not gonna buy from a brewer who isn't "environmentally conscious"

 

Assuming a brewery's efforts at environmental proactivity/damage control are effective (and, of course, I like their beer), I'm happy enough to pay a premium.

 

I'm very attracted to this. However, if the product isn't up to standards I will quickly move business elsewhere. But if their product is just as good as anything else around then it would make me a lifer and absolutely make me want to purchase their beer over another.

 

All else being equal (meaning: the beer is just as good as one to the other) I would rather give my money to the
one doing better for the environment. However, if their whole premise is that they recycle, carbon neutral and so forth, but the beer isn't any good, I'll pass, thanks.

 

NO

 

I don't look for them specifically, but I applaud all humans who care enough to conserve, reuse, and educate themselves how to do every part of life with more care and attitude of conservatorship.

IIRC one of our locals uses all local ingredients and also is energy and impact neutral. Plan Bee is their name, and their beers rock.

 

I'm into beer for good beer if the brewery is environmentally conscious, it's a plus. It's just one of the factors I consider when I support a brewery.

 

Basically, the responses on here sum up consumerism in the United States---and I'm as guilty as the next--- in that we've got no qualms about letting the world go to shit for the sake of our tastes, desires, and comfort.

I'd love to see more breweries considering the environment, using organic materials (I try to eat organic only and I feel it foolish to pretend beer is somehow different) and not fucking up the earth, but if the beers they produce aren't that more than good, it's all for naught. The few organic breweries I know haven't had anything remotely good, so that hurts the overall effort. HOWEVER, if more breweries were doing good things AND PUBLICIZING it, I think that would help encourage competitors and consumers to be more thoughtful.

 

I assume that most craft brewers, based on the nature of the industry they decided to enter, are more environmentally conscious than your average consumer. While many are savvy businessmen now, most started out as passionate hippie/hipster types fighting against the man. Look at your Greg Kochs, Sam Calagiones, Garret Olivers. Millionaires all, but come from some element of counter culture/stick it to the corporate bigwigs by doing it our way mentality. Guys I trust to consider things like environmental impact in their business.

Maybe this is BS and your average mid level craft brewer actually pours out gallons of chemicals into local water sources while laughing maniacally.

It's the ones that have a holier than thou "look how conscious we are!" attitude that I actually second guess.

 

Good for them if they want to spend the money trying to outfit their brewery with solar panels or wind turbines, but I just don't give two fucks. It cost more to set a brewery up this way, so eventually that extra money spent trying to build an "environmentally friendly" brewery is going to be passed down to consumers. Once the prices start to creep up the average consumer will buy less of it because they can spend the same amount of money and buy more of something else, of equal or greater value to them.

 

I like environmentally friendly actions, as long as they don't negatively impact the quality, availability, or cost of the beer. But if you start tacking on an extra $2 to every sixer to help pay for that wind turbine you just installed, or have skunky beer because you decided that clear glass is healthier for baby seals, or will only distribute by bicycle-- then NO.

I also don't like it when a brewery (or any other business) appears to be doing the environmentally friendly thing just for the PR. It needs to be a sincere part of your corporate culture, not just an advertising ploy to get some positive press and make people feel warm and fuzzy.

 

I like that Lagunitas uses less water than a lot of others and that Alaskan powers there plant with a boiler that burns their spent grain but I purchase on taste alone. I do like both breweries though and do occasionally buy from both.