Anheuser-Busch Introduces Two Organic Beers
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 07.10.06
Organic beer has drawn the attention of the nation's largest beer company, Anheuser-Busch, which is now producing two organic beers of its own. Those beers, Wild Hop lager and Stone Mill pale ale, are being sold in several test markets nationwide. Organic beer is made with at least 95 percent organic ingredients. The barley and hops are grown without the use of chemicals and pesticides. Organic beer sales increased 40 percent in 2005, tying it with organic coffee as the fastest-growing organic beverage, the Organic Trade Association says. By comparison, overall U.S. beer sales fell slightly last year.
Anheuser-Busch launched its organic beers in March and April. You won't find the Budweiser name on the bottles; instead, you'll find the Green Valley Brewing Co. name on the Wild Hop packaging, and the Crooked Creek Brewing Co. on the Stone Mill products. Wild Hop is brewed at the Anheuser-Busch brewery in Fairfield, Calif., and Stone Mill is produced at the Red Hook brewery in Portsmouth, N.H.
:: Via Star Tribune. See also: ::http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/04/natural_product_6.php
Organic beer is great, but I've been paying attention to local beer lately.
(Seems silly to ship mostly water across the US, if not across the world.)
What makes up the 5% that is not considered organic?
Kind of shady that the beers are produced by Anheuser Busch and not directly labeled as such. They are obviously trying to play them off as local brews...
Thanks for the warning Treehugger. Now I know who makes these beers when I see them in restaurants, and will avoid them.
I think it's great that they are supplying organic beer - but I would still have trouble buying it because I would feel like I was supporting all their other evil things like Sea World!
Which is better organic or local? I don't know the real answer to the question but I know that I can ask the local producer questions about how they produce what they produce ... and that puts me much closer to the final product than any feelings that I may have for a mass-produced organic item.
Let's not forget that Anheuser-Busch strongly supports the war against marijuana. This evil company should be avoided at all costs.
Some friends and I had the "Wild Hop" in early June in NYC.. It was the best-sounding beer on tap at a particular bar we were at - we had no idea until a few days later when I looked it up, that it was made by AB.
Anyway - it was actually a pretty tastey beer. I personally would rather drink a local brew, but if I am ever in the situation again where the options are this or some other crappy domestic, I'll definitely go for the Wild Hop again.
We got sent a bottle or two a few months back. Tasty!
http://www.psfk.com/2006/03/wild_hop_beer.html
Too bad "Wild Hop" has no wild hops in it.
Today we are going to try swiss Chard. It is one of those vegetables that can be quite daunting if you have never used it - what do you do with it? So this week's recipe is more of suggestion about preparation rather than a firm recipe. I find that chard has a more delicate taste than spinach and it holds it's shape and colour better in the cooking. You can find regular swiss chard which has a bright red stem or rainbow chard
Please read this story in my local paper about Anheuser Busch planning to open a Sea World in China...one of the WORST countries for animals!
I just fired off an email to them protesting that move and citing many instances of animal abuse, environmental and human rights violations etc.
Please do so as well if you feel strongly about it.
http://www.flatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080227/BUSINESS/802270310/1003
wooow