Ethical and sustainable beer brands in the U.K

Ethical and sustainable beer

As the U.K slowly begins to descend back to its former self, with the return to the office and city alike, the drinks after work culture reignites. Sharing a tipple with friends and coworkers to unwind from the working week is a long-standing tradition across the country. Yet the cost of a pint is slightly greater than the number of rounds bought on a Friday night. 

The sustainability challenges of creating your favourite craft brew is immense, right from the farming process to the bottling and selling. The harvesting process is the most water intensive aspect of the production, with a singular pint of beer using up to 20 gallons of water to create a single 8 ounce serving. As brands are also localised to their country, the transportation process also serves to produce an immense amount of emissions as it is exported to global consumers. 

However with the development of local craft breweries, employing eco-friendly and socially responsible working environments, it has become easier to find ethical alternatives to your favourite pint. Here are a few brands below in the UK. 

1) The Original Small Beer

A London based brewery which specialises in producing lagers below 2.8% for those 'who love great beer but want to avoid those beery-eyed consequences.' They have formulated their own brewing methods to produce flavourful small beers that deliver on taste and less on alcohol. Having designed a brewing kit which uses only one and a half pints of water to make one standard pint, they have saves 1.4 million litres of water since their inception. Achieving B-Corp certification, they are the first brewery in London to do so, certifying the best environmental and social conditions of production. Check out their producthere.

2) Toast Ale

Toast Ale is an innovative waste management brewery which utilises those bread leftovers to brew its famous craft. Founded by Rob Wilson, the beer addresses the food waste issue, which is estimated at 44 percent in the UK. Finding a way to use bread employs old traditional brewing methods and surplus bread from factories, bakeries and supermarkets. It results in at least 1 slice of bread per pint and and alcohol level of 4.5%. As a B-Corp they also donate 100% of their profits to charities fighting food waste. You can find their product range in a list of stockists based on your location here.

3) Long Arm Pub

Can't decide what to go for? If you're looking for the best sustainable brew on tap, look no further than Long Arms Pub in Shoreditch, London. It is the first of its kind in the capital, establishing itself as the most sustainable pub. Its low impact system produces 6 different kinds of beer, brewed on site and delivered straight to the glass. It cuts straight to chase delivering high quality craft beers that only have to travel 3 metres from tank to tap. Check out the mission and location here. 

Sustainable living doesn't necessarily mean stripping away and abandoning former activities. Treat yourself and your dearest to a sustainably produced pint. Let the environmental and socially responsible brands alleviate some of those post pint aftereffects!