Choose A “Greener” Beer for St. Patrick’s Day

If the approaching St. Patrick’s Day holiday has you dreaming of leprechauns, shamrocks and quaffing a wee pint (or two) of green beer, making a few greener choices can help lead you to the green pot o’ gold and a tasty, more planet-friendly holiday.

Drink Local

You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again, but there are few actions that can’t be made greener by keeping it close to home. In this case, you’re supporting your local economy and community and reducing the transportation costs-in terms of carbon emissions and dollars-for the (very heavy!) liquids.

Consider the Container

Here’s where it gets a bit tricky; if your beer of choice is brewed close to home, and your local municipality has a good recycling program, then glass bottles are the way to go. But if your favorite frosted barley comes from far away, aluminum’s light weight help it win out. Ultimately, the best choice might be to toddle down to your local pub and have ’em pull you a draught pint;

Support Green Breweries

Packaging is but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to truly green beer; to dig deeper into the the libations’ production by checking out where their power comes from, as an increasing number are embracing alternative energy and super-sustainable production options. Cascade Green, Sierra Nevada, NYC’s Village Pourhouse and New Belgium Brewing are just a few that we’ve noted over at TreeHugger.

Open, Enjoy, Recycle, Repeat

Though this last step might seem to go without saying, we can’t emphasize it enough, whatever your preferred method for enjoying your green holiday. And, though it’s a well-known eco-step, it isn’t always translated into action: just 45 percent of aluminum cans and 25 perfect of glass bottles are recycled after they’re poured out. And since reusing bottles has failed to catch on en masse, recycling is the next-best option.

Have a safe, green holiday, and, no matter what your preferred pint, please drink responsibly.