Maine Craft Beer Makers Brewing Support for Clean Water

PORTLAND, ME (December 3, 2013) – It takes great water to make great beer, so the Natural Resources Defense Council is teaming up with a half dozen of Maine’s most beloved craft brewers to launch a campaign in the state advocating for strong clean water safeguards. The Maine kickoff extends NRDC’s national “Brewers for Clean Water” campaign to help translate the amazing economic growth of the craft brewing sector into a powerful voice on behalf of clean water protections in the United States.

“Whether brewers are creating ales, pilsners, porters, wits, or stouts, one ingredient must go into every batch: clean water,” said NRDC Water Program Senior Policy Analyst Karen Hobbs. “Craft brewers need clean water to make great beer. This campaign is all about amplifying their voices in support of their most important ingredient’s most important protection -- the Clean Water Act.”

Few industries depend on clean water as much as craft brewers. While hops and malt can be sourced elsewhere, breweries are reliant on their local water supplies. Whether drawn from lakes, rivers, groundwater or a local water system, breweries rely on the protections of the Clean Water Act to ensure the quality and availability of their main ingredient (beer is 90% water).

“As we continue to see the craft beer segment grow, we as brewers owe it to the communities we live, work and play in to be mindful of protecting our waterways as we strive for growth that is environmentally and socially responsible now and down the road," said Mat Trogner of Allagash Brewing Company.

In recent years, attempts to roll back Clean Water Act protections have endangered not just the most important ingredient for craft beer, but also public health and resources for a wide range of industries. In joining the campaign, the brewers take NRDC’s “Clean Water Pledge,” acknowledging the importance of clean water and clean water safeguards. In the same vein, several Maine brewers signed onto a letter calling on America’s most visible home brewer—President Obama—to advance long-delayed safeguards under the Clean Water Act protecting American streams, wetlands and headwaters (which have a significant impact on larger water sources downstream).

The reach of the craft brewing industry has grown immensely in recent years. With more breweries than any other time in American history, the multi-billion dollar industry brings a compelling business voice to clean water issues. Seen as rock stars responsible for beloved brews in some circles and local employers in others, craft brewers are closely tied to their communities with a very real understanding of the impacts bad policy can have on regional water sources. While the participants in the growing “Brewers for Clean Water” campaign include brewing operations large and small, all are also committed to sustainability in their operations and beer development. Campaign members from Maine include:

• Allagash Brewing Company (Portland)
• Baxter Brewing Company (Lewiston)
• Boothbay Craft Brewery (Boothbay)
• Maine Beer Company (Freeport)
• Rising Tide Brewing Company (Portland)
• Shipyard Brewing Company (Portland)

More Information:

• More about the NRDC’s “Brewers for Clean Water” campaign, including video interviews from participating breweries, can be found at www.nrdc.org/brewers
• The Brewers’ letter to President Obama is available at http://docs.nrdc.org/water/files/wat_13120301a.pdf
• NRDC’s Karen Hobbs blog on the campaign can be found at http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/khobbs/im_thankful_for_craft_brewers.html
• Follow the campaign on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/beer4water and on Twitter at@NRDCwater.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 1.4 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.

###