Organic Love of Beer!

BY Abram Goldman-Armstrong Honorary Beer Scribe for Guest on Tap

Oregonians love organics, and they love beer. Organic beer has been brewed in Oregon for nearly a decade. Organic hops and barley are grown without heavy metal fertilizers and pesticides, keeping runoff harmful to native wildlife, fish, and plants out of streams and topsoil. The now defunct Spencer's in Springfield bottled the first organic beer in the state in 1998. The organic beer market has grown so much that even the brewing behemoths are considering the launching of their own organic beer. Craig Nicholls was one of the local pioneers of organic brewing. He has included organic beers in his lineup wherever he brewed since 1998, and last year opened Roots, an organic-only brewery with fellow brewer Jason McAdam. Over the years, more organic malts have become available, making it possible to brew styles from Bavarian wheat beers to Imperial Stouts and big IPAs organically. Roots is hosting the second organic beer festival in North America at the World Forestry Center on June 10. The craft-brewing movement is a return to traditional beer styles, made with ingredients, which until the last century, were grown like all crops without chemicals."Organic is the way it was, and the way it will be," says Laurelwood brewmaster Christian Ettinger, whose brewery was the first to be certified under the National Organic Program. Organic beers account for about 40 percent of the brew pub's production, and its Free Range Red was recently chosen in the Northwest Brewing News Readers' Choice Awards as "best organic beer." Just because a beer is organic, though, isn't a good enough reason to drink it, according to Don Younger, owner of the Horse Brass Pub. "It has to be a good beer first," he says. Luckily for us we've got plenty of great local organic beers to choose from. Abram Goldman-Armstrong has been writing about organic beer since 2000.
Local organic beersRoots:
All organic Laurelwood: Free Range Red, Tree Hugger Porter and assorted seasonals
Hair of the Dog: Greg, a blond ale brewed with organic squash and no hops for Higgins restaurant
Lucky Lab: Organic Golden, first brewed for the organic brewers symposium in 2002. This beer has become a Lab standard. Though not certified organic, most of Hawks beers from Roseburg are brewed with organic ingredients. Fish in Olympia, Wash., produces organic amber, pale and IPA. Where to find organic beer The Goodfoot Lounge, Higgins and organic grocery stores - Whole Foods even has its own line produced at North Coast Brewing in California. Both Market of Choice and John's Market carry an extensive line of organic beers, too.
Beer News:A very special evening at the Concordia Ale House(3276 NE Killingsworth, Portland #503.287.3929) will be had by all on Thursday March 9th @ 6 PM when Walking Man Brewing's own, Walking Man Bob, will be bringing kegs from his Private collection for the honored patrons to sample. Don't miss this event!