Can you get good organic ale?
I’m often asked this question, and the answer is yes, you can.
There are quite a few beers labeled “organic” out there, and many are quite good.
Take the Green Lakes Organic Ale from Deschutes Brewing Co. It’s part of the Bond Street Series, the brewery’s rotating seasonal and specialty selection.
It’s one of my favorite amber ales, despite the organic label. The crystal and sterling hops really make this amber sing, while the malt sips along nicely and finishes smooth and with a hint of grassy sweetness.
Like I said, it’s a good beer despite the organic label.
I can agree that a brewery could get organic malts. I’ve seen organic malts advertised, and I believe they’ve been available for quite some time.
What I don’t quite believe is organic hops. One hop grower in Oregon told me that no organic hop has been developed because the plants are very susceptible to fungus. For the most part, hop farmers do not need to add much, in terms of fertilizers, insecticides or other additives, but they do have to add fungicide.
Because hops are one ingredient in beer, and do not constitute a majority of the ingredients, they do not have to be organic. Keep this in mind if you buy beer labeled organic. Chances are it is mostly organic, but if your conscience gets the better of you for the little discretions, you should know that the hops likely are not organic.
The good news is that farmers near Woodburn, Oregon have been experimenting with fungus resistant varieties of hops. The hope is to produce an organic variety within five years.
If you are concerned about the beer you drink, read the label carefully. The beer can say organic, and it might read like this: “Made with five types of %100 percent organic malted barley and balanced with Crystal and Salmon-safe Sterling hops, this auspicious amber ale is as easy to drink as it is on Mother Earth.”
No where does it say the hops are organic. Read your labels. Most organic beers will not say organic hops. I have seen a couple, and inquiries to the breweries went unanswered.
Prost,
GG
I love “Green Lakes”, it’s an easy drinker. Really similar to “Jubelale” but easier to session IMO.
“Au Naturale” is another great organic beer http://www.grandtetonbrewing.com/AN.htm
Keep in mind that beer is mostly water and I have my doubts that the water used to brew can be certified organic
There is much more to an organic beer than just ingredients. In a truly organic beer not only must all ingredients be certified as organic but also the production process used in brewing the beer must be certified as an organic process. All parts of the process are scrutinized; the storage of the organic ingredients, the milling of the organic grain, the flow of the wort and beer through pumps and hoses, etc. The organic certification process is a rigorous inspection that even involves a check of sales records to determine if more organic beer is being sold than was produced. This inspection is completed annually. Only then are you allowed to declare that the beer is an organic beer. At Blackfoot River Brewing Company (which, for the record, I am part owner) we are glad for the strict regulations regarding organic beers. This guarantees an organic product for the consumer. Our organic beer does not come in bottles, but the tap handle does sport the USDA/Organic label, something allowed only if the beer has been certified organic. For those who would like to try an organic beer on tap I believe our organic porter is in the Missoula market.
Your comment about fungicide in hops production was interesting. I have grown hops, and I have a friend that grows a lot more hops every year. The main problem we had growing hops in Colorado was aphids. My friend would sometimes use the proper pesticide at the correct time (max effect on the bugs, greatly reduced risk of residual at harvest time). I used systemic pesticide–since I was not using the hops for brewing–they were strictly ornamental for me. My friend also used ladybugs which seemed to work about 75% of the time.
He did have a couple of great batches of what we called aphid ale. Unfiltered, it had some aphids in it. Most people would not drink it, but it tasted great to me, and was one of those things that people would say, “hey, you have a fly in your beer”…. and you would drink it anyway.
We never had to use fungicides–probably a function of the lower humidity in Denver, drier growing conditions, etc. I suspect in cooler valley growth areas (like Yakima), along with all sorts of other agriculture in the area, that fungus might be a bigger problem. Of course, there are what might be considered natural pesticides derived from flowers, etc… but not sure on whether they are certifiable or what the process would be to allow their use.