In the world of craft beer, one of the simplest (and honestly, most enjoyable) of those choices is opting for refillable growlers and howlers.

Long before sustainability became a buzzword, these humble containers were already doing the work. They’ve always offered a way to reduce waste, support local breweries, and enjoy beer a little more intentionally. Now, as conversations around climate impact and conscious consumption continue to grow, they feel more relevant than ever.

If you’ve spent any time exploring BC’s craft beer scene, you’ve likely come across both growlers and howlers. The concept is simple: bring a reusable container to your local brewery, have it filled fresh from the tap, take it home, and do it all over again. No excess packaging, no unnecessary waste, just good beer and a system that makes sense.

And that simplicity is exactly what makes it so impactful.

Every single-use can or bottle comes with an environmental cost. From extracting raw materials to manufacturing, transporting, and eventually recycling (or worse, landfilling), it’s a resource-heavy cycle that repeats itself with every purchase. Refillable containers interrupt that loop. Instead of constantly creating something new, you’re extending the life of something you already have.

Over time, one growler can replace dozens, even hundreds, of single-use containers. It’s a small shift, but one that adds up quickly.

Across British Columbia, where the craft beer industry has grown to nearly 250 breweries, that impact becomes even more meaningful. With that kind of scale comes responsibility. Breweries are already navigating sustainability challenges like water usage, energy consumption, and rising waste management costs. Many are actively working toward better solutions, whether that’s reducing water use, repurposing spent grain, or finding ways to reuse materials like can carriers.

But sustainability in beer isn’t just a brewery-side effort. It’s something drinkers can actively participate in, too.

That’s where refill culture really shines, especially in places like Victoria, where breweries are often just a short walk or bike ride apart. Choosing to refill instead of buying packaged beer not only reduces waste, it keeps your dollars local and strengthens your connection to the people behind the beer.

And some breweries are leaning into that idea in a big way.

Take The Empty Keg Brew House, for example. At a time when many breweries are moving away from growler fills or limiting what they’ll refill, they’ve gone in the opposite direction, actively encouraging customers to bring them in. They’ll fill any growler, not just their own, making it easier for people to participate in reuse without friction.

Their approach is rooted in a simple idea: reuse is better than recycling. Growlers don’t end up in a landfill or require energy to be processed into something new; they just keep going. It’s a small operational shift that reduces the need for canning and bottling, and ultimately, cuts down on waste altogether.

They’ve even added small incentives, like discounted fills and a growler club punch card, but the real value is in making sustainable choices feel easy and accessible. It’s a reminder that when businesses create systems that support better habits, people are far more likely to adopt them.

And it’s not just about sustainability, it’s also about how we drink.

Howlers, the smaller 32-oz version of a growler, offer a more flexible way to enjoy craft beer. They’re perfect for trying something new, sharing a couple of pints, or simply buying exactly what you’ll drink. Less leftover beer means less wasted resources, from the ingredients themselves to the energy used to produce them.

Even the containers have evolved. Today’s growlers come in stainless steel, insulated designs that keep beer cold for hours, or lightweight options that are easy to take along to the beach, a picnic, or a backyard hang. They fit seamlessly into everyday life, which is exactly what sustainable choices need to do.

Because at the end of the day, sustainability doesn’t have to feel complicated or overwhelming.

Sometimes it looks like walking into your local brewery, handing over your growler, and choosing to refill instead of replace.

One small habit. One easy swap. One refill at a time. 

Every Pint Tells a Story

Supporting Local. Celebrating Community.

The post Earth Day, One Refill at a Time: Why Growlers & Howlers Still Matter appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

While the connection might not seem obvious at first glance, there is a natural relationship between farmers’ markets and the craft beer community – one that we’ve talked about before. Both farmers’ markets and craft breweries share a commitment to supporting local producers, celebrating regional flavours, and fostering genuine connections between makers and consumers. And both represent a shift toward more intentional consumption, where knowing the source of what you’re buying matters as much as the quality itself. Movements like the Canada-wide Glorious and Free collaboration beer (and the growing list of other all-Canadian-ingredient brews) show that craft beer lovers care about supporting local and strengthening communities while showcasing the incredible resources our province has to offer. And farmers’ markets share those same values.

The BC Association of Farmers’ Markets (BCAFM) is an organization that is “passionate about local food and helping markets, farmers and small businesses grow so local food continues to thrive.” Their member markets take place across BC on the BC Farmers’ Market Trail, some seasonally and some year-round, but all with a “grow it, make it, bake it” philosophy: everything you’ll find at these markets has been grown or crafted by a locally-owned small business.

On the BC Farmers’ Market Trail, you’ll find over 145 market destinations around the province, each with something unique to offer. Not sure where to start? Download the free BC Farmers’ Market Trail app to find the markets nearest you. Just like the BC Ale Trail app*, you’ll find a guide to the markets closest to you and be able to browse regional destinations. You can earn points by checking in when you visit a market, join ‘Taste & Do’ challenges, complete Tasting Passports, all as you discover your new favourite ingredients and products to truly savour the flavours of BC.

*The BC Ale Trail is making it even easier to find farmers’ markets near you that host local craft breweries! On the BC Ale Trail mobile app and on the website, you’ll find local farmers’ markets listed on the Events pages. Your weekend grocery shopping just got tastier!

There are plenty of reasons to make farmers’ markets your go-to shopping destination and become part of this thriving local economy; here are just a few:

Support Local and Strengthen Your Community

When you buy directly from a local farmer, baker, maker, or artisan at a farmers’ market, your money goes straight back to the source and stays in your local economy. This direct-to-consumer model means more of your hard-earned dollars support local families and businesses rather than distant corporations.

But the impact goes beyond economics. Shopping at farmers’ markets strengthens community ties in meaningful ways. The BCAFM collaborates with community organizations and member farmers’ markets to provide farmers’ market coupons to lower-income families, pregnant people, and seniors. This coupon program, supported by the Province of British Columbia and generous community donors, ensures that fresh, local food is accessible to everyone in the community.

By shopping at your local farmers’ market, you’re not just buying food—you’re investing in a more equitable and connected community.

Discover So Much More Than Fruits and Vegetables

While fresh produce might draw you in, BC farmers’ markets offer an incredible diversity of local goods that will surprise and delight you. You’ll find everything from farm-fresh eggs to artisanal dairy products, locally raised meat, golden honey, homemade preserves, and freshly baked bread that puts grocery store options to shame.

The variety doesn’t stop at food. Local markets showcase an impressive array of BC-made products, including things like handcrafted soaps and natural skin care, artisan jewelry, leather or knitted goods, clothing, and beautiful woodworking or pottery pieces. Whether you’re looking for a unique gift or treating yourself to something special, farmers’ markets offer one-of-a-kind items you simply won’t find anywhere else.

Every visit becomes a treasure hunt where you might discover your new favourite local jam maker, the hottest hot sauce to spice things up, or that perfect handcrafted piece for your home.

Sample and Shop Local Craft Beer

Yes, you read that right! Many BC farmers’ markets feature local craft breweries where you can sample the latest releases and pick up a 4-pack or 6-pack to pair with the fresh ingredients you’re gathering. There’s something magical about selecting fresh vegetables, artisan cheese, and locally baked bread, then completing your meal with a craft beer from the same community.

This unique shopping experience lets you create completely local meals while supporting multiple small businesses in one trip. Imagine pairing that farm-fresh tomato and basil with locally made mozzarella and a crisp wheat beer—all sourced within miles of your home.

Dramatically Lower Your Environmental Impact

Here’s a staggering fact: the average North American meal travels between 2,400 to 4,000 kilometres from farm to table, according to one Ontario newspaper. 92% of imported fruit travels more than 1500km, with 22% travelling beyond 7000 km to reach your table, according to a paper by York University.

When you shop at farmers’ markets, you’re buying food that may have traveled just a few dozen kilometers—or sometimes just a few blocks—to reach you. This dramatic reduction in food miles means significantly lower carbon emissions, less packaging waste, and reduced reliance on fossil fuels for transportation. By choosing local, you’re making a powerful environmental statement with every purchase while reducing your personal carbon footprint in a meaningful way.

Experience Seasonal, Fresh Food That Simply Tastes Better

There’s no comparison between a tomato picked yesterday from a local farm and one that’s been shipped thousands of miles and stored for weeks. Farmers’ market produce is harvested at peak ripeness and sold within days, or even hours, of being picked. This means you’re getting maximum nutritional value, incredible flavour, and the freshest possible ingredients. You’ll taste the difference immediately: strawberries that burst with sweetness, greens that are crisp and vibrant, and herbs so aromatic they perfume your kitchen.

Shopping seasonally also connects you to the natural rhythms of your region. You’ll develop a deeper appreciation for what grows when, discover new varieties of familiar vegetables, and learn to create meals that celebrate the best of each season. Not sure how to cook a purple cauliflower? Ask the vendor! Another benefit to shopping directly from the grower is the opportunity to learn the best ways to prepare new foods straight from the pros.

Here are some of the markets around BC where you’ll find your local craft brewery each week, organized by region:

Kootenay Rockies:

• Creston Valley Farmers’ Market
  • Wild North Brewing
• City of Nelson Farmers’ Market – Baker Street Market
  • Nelson Brewing Company

Cariboo Chilcotin Coast:

• Quesnel Farmers’ Market
  • Barkerville Brewing

Thompson Okaganan:

• Celista Hall Farmers’ Market – Celista, North Shuswap
  • Ricochet Brewing
• Kamloops Regional Farmers’ Market
  • Red Collar Brewing
• Penticton Farmers’ Market
  • Tin Whistle Brewing
• Sorrento Village Farmers’ Market
  • Crannóg Ales

Vancouver, Coast and Mountains:

• Abbotsford Farm & Country Market
  • Old Yale Brewing
• Haney Farmers’ Market
  • The Patch Brewery
• Market at the Quay Farmers’ Market – North Vancouver
  • Beva Brewing & Blending
• New West Farmers’ Market
  • Steel & Oak Brewing
• Squamish Farmers’ Market
  • Five Roads Brewing

Vancouver Island:

• Duncan Farmers’ Market
  • Red Arrow Brewing
• Esquimalt Farmers’ Market
  • Driftwood Brewery
• James Bay Community Market – Victoria
  • Herald Street Brew Works
• Qualicum Beach Farmers’ Market
  • Dog Mountain Brewing

Every Pint Tells a Story

Supporting Local. Celebrating Community.

The post The Power of Shopping Local: Your Guide to BC Farmers’ Markets appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

Tin Whistle is not only Penticton’s first craft brewery, but also the first in the South Okanagan region, and BC’s 12^th craft brewery. Over their incredible history, they’ve won many awards, modernized and grown their branding through two ownership changes (notably, it has always had women within the ownership teams), and have also had the distinction of becoming a zero-waste facility and Canada’s first carbon neutral brewery under the leadership of current owners Alexis Esseltine and Tim Scoon. I was fortunate to spend some time chatting with Alexis about the brewery’s milestone birthday recently, as well as their ongoing focus on sustainability and how they hope to inspire the craft beer industry.

To celebrate 30 years, Tin Whistle will be releasing 12 brews over the course of the year. “This year is going to be one big celebration,” says Tim. “We are going to brew this incredible line-up of limited edition, small run beers and release them out into the world every month. We dug into the Tin Whistle archives to bring back long lost recipes, and looked deep into beer history to bring light to fascinating styles that are uncommon, but oh so delicious. And we’ve looked ahead to what we think beer can be with new ingredients and approaches to brewing. You won’t want to miss a single one.”

But let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

A Brief History of Tin Whistle Brewing

The original four-person team of Linda and Richard Green, and Lawrie and Lynda Lock opened the brewery in a converted railway museum with the help of Frank Appleton. Yes, that Frank Appleton. Some of their original beer recipes, though tweaked and modernized, live on today as the best-selling Peach Cream Ale (formerly Peaches n’ Cream Ale), the Black Widow Dark Lager (formerly Black Widow Dark Ale) and the Coyote Lager (formerly Coyote Ale), for example.

In 1998, Lorraine Nagy purchased the brewery and ran it for 22 years with her son, Mike Nagy. During the Nagy’s tenure, Tin Whistle crafted multiple award-winning beers: Gold at the 2014 BC Beer Awards for the Stag Apple Scotch IPA; another gold in the fruit beer category at the 2016 BC Beer Awards for the Raspberry Blonde Ale; The Killer Bee Dark Honey Ale won a silver medal at the Calgary International Beer Festival in 2016; along with several more. They grew the brewery’s distribution channels and beer line-up as well.

In 2015, the brewery moved to the Cannery Trade Center, formerly a fruit cannery for the nearby Okanagan orchards, where it still resides today.

New Look, New Direction, Sustainable Beer

The brewery had been for sale for some time when COVID-19 changed, well, everything.

Owning a brewery had always been a distant dream for Alexis and Tim, who believed that a small brewery set amid the tiled subway tunnels of Toronto would be the perfect oasis on long, boring commutes. They moved to Vancouver from Toronto, with a stopover in Saskatchewan. After losing their jobs to the pandemic, they decided it was time for a change. They began looking at starting or buying a business where they could put their backgrounds in business and sustainability to use, bring new opportunities to their growing family, and maybe even fulfill a long-held dream. They came across Tin Whistle’s for sale listing in 2020, and the rest, as they say, is history.

You could argue that buying a brewery, of all things, in the midst of a global pandemic, with three kids at home, and no background in the craft beer industry, was a major risk for the couple. But talking to Alexis and hearing the passion and drive that she pours into her business, I don’t think there could ever be a doubt that they would succeed.

First up, once Alexis and Tim took over, was a new look. The outdated labels and bomber bottles became vibrant colours, mythical creatures and tall cans.

The bare, industrial-warehouse feel of the tasting room transformed into something bright and colourful, with an airy look, lots of greenery, and welcoming, fun vibes.

With the help of head brewer Matt Farmer, they tweaked and adjusted classic beer recipes and began brewing new, interesting and compelling beers that their customers wanted to drink. Alexis tells me that one of the most valuable things about being hands-on in the tasting room and around the brewery is the ability to listen. To talk to customers and hear their feedback, and to note what they are taking home with them.

Almost every Friday, a new experimental brew is released. Having a smaller pilot system in addition to the main brew house allows for small batches of experimental beers, letting Matt get creative and innovative with new recipes, new techniques and ingredients. Sometimes, they don’t work. Other times, they’re a hit and are eventually released as larger batches.

“When someone orders a second pint, or asks if they can take a 4-pack home, that’s when you know you’ve gotten it right”, says Alexis.

This love of experimentation has led to some truly unique brews, and keeping in line with the brewery’s mission of sustainability, they often seek out ingredients that would otherwise be considered waste. Much like farmers find value in spent grain as food for their livestock, brewers can find distinctive flavours in things like grape skins from nearby wineries and even spent rice used to brew sake.

The Cherry Blossom Japanese Lager is one such stand-out brew. It began as one of the Friday small batches, and it took some time to perfect before its release for Earth Day in 2024. Since then, it has won a silver medal in the Experimental Beer category at the 2024 Canada Beer Cup. The consistency of the rice is much different from traditional brewing malts and was a bit difficult to work with at first, but it was a challenge that, when overcome, produced a vibrant, slightly floral, lightly fruity and utterly delicious brew. It’s back again for 2025, just in time for spring, and will be available across B.C. through BC Liquor Stores, taking over shelf space once held by American imports.

Another great example is the third release in their 30^th Anniversary series, the Rosé Lager: a crisp, refreshing beer brewed with hundreds of pounds of Syrah and Viognier grape skins already pressed by local winery Blasted Church. “Giving ingredients a second life is still new in beer, but it’s an exciting frontier,” says Alexis. “We’re turning what would have been waste into something beautiful and flavourful. To us, that’s a win-win: sustainability and great beer in one glass.”

“Taste Matters, But So Does Our Impact”

A clear statement from the brewery’s website, and one that they live by in their day-to-day operations as a zero-waste, carbon-neutral facility. When they took over the brewery, Alexis knew that her background in green business was an asset that she could put to good use, showing that breweries can be sustainable, too.

“Our whole mission is to challenge the status quo. Not coming from a traditional beer background is actually an advantage – we’re not bound by ‘that’s not how it’s done.’ Instead, we ask ‘why not?'” says Alexis.

Getting to the point of zero waste took time and thought. It began with a dumpster dive – literally. Going through the brewery’s waste to determine what could be reduced or eliminated, what could be reused, and then what could be recycled in local or other BC recycling programs was the first step. “It’s not sexy”, Alexis admits with a laugh, but it’s necessary.

There are no dumpsters or large garbage cans for the brewery. Nitrile gloves are collected in a designated bin and returned to a special recycling facility in Langley approximately once per year. Dunnage (shipping materials) is returned or reused. Grain bags, plastics, cardboard, glass, etc, are all sorted carefully and recycled. Compostable materials are composted. It might take a bit of time, but it’s worth it.

The brewery extends recycling and reusing to their PakTech buy-back program. The plastic toppers from 4- and 6-packs of beer would cost the brewery about $0.25 each to buy new. Instead, Tin Whistle offers customers a $0.25 credit for every topper brought back to be reused.

Check out Tin Whistle’s 2025 Earth Day video, with the topper recycling program in the spotlight.

Alexis also works closely with nearby Okanagan College on sustainability projects. They have three on the go at the moment: finding a viable solution for spent grain recycling on a large scale, a water re-use project, and their ongoing algae bio-reactor, which offsets CO2 emissions.

The algae bio-reactor project is a really interesting one. In simple terms, CO2 is captured in weather balloons at the brewery during the brewing process. The gas is then put into scuba tanks, which go to the College where they feed tanks of algae. In turn, the algae thrive and reproduce and can be harvested in turn. Depending on the type of algae, such as spirulina*, it can be quite an in-demand product.

*Spirulina is a ‘super food’, rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and antioxidants, and can also be used as a non-chemical food colouring.

There are plenty of folks out there who want to work on sustainability projects that would be able to help other breweries to lower their impact, “people want to help,” Alexis tells me. From universities to city and provincial grants, the resources are out there and available to anyone who is interested in taking advantage of those opportunities. Part of why she does what she does is to share the knowledge across the industry and to make it more easily attainable for other breweries.

What Does Carbon Neutral Mean?

We’ve heard the term, but what does it actually mean? Breweries use electricity, natural gas, and other resources with impactful carbon footprints, they send waste to landfills, where it decomposes, releasing methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. So, how does one become carbon neutral?

Again, this process starts with a careful evaluation of the business, including audits of their natural gas and electricity usage, garbage outputs, and so on. Some places for improvement were quickly and easily identified. The 20-something-year-old facility was still using a lot of equipment that had been around for many years. Upgrading equipment like the compressor and keg washer to more efficient models made quick improvements. Natural gas usage is one of the biggest impacts on carbon footprint, Alexis explained to me, and eventually they’d like to be able to put in an electric kettle (a part of the brewing equipment), but finding one capable of doing what they need it to do is proving difficult.

Becoming a zero-waste facility also helped to improve their carbon footprint, but even with all of the changes, there is a balance owed. The next step that businesses can take is to purchase carbon offsets. There is a whole catalogue of investment opportunities that are available for the express purpose of offsetting an organization’s carbon footprint. For example, Tin Whistle contributes to a tree planting project in the Great Bear Rainforest, among others. The positive impacts of those projects balance any carbon footprint created at the brewery. “Ideally,” Alexis says, “we want to get to a zero balance by ourselves, without buying offsets, and we’re working towards that. But, we are focused on reducing our impact every day. It’s Earth Day every day in our world. ”

After 30 Years, What Comes Next?

First, Tin Whistle will continue to be laser-focused on the beer. Winning awards might be a great pat on the back, but brewing beer that is innovative, sustainable and tasty is the goal. They also plan to bring the non-alcoholic version of the Peach Cream Ale to market in cans. It’s taking time to first perfect the recipe, and then find a canning solution that is safe and affordable, but Alexis tells me it could be coming soon. They are also sourcing more and more local ingredients from Western Canada (a gentle push from the threat of tariffs also helps with that aim), as well as looking into ingredients that have a lower carbon footprint themselves, such as native grains that use less water during the growing process, or the drought resistant hop varieties being developed by the BC Hop Growers Association.

Next up: expanding again to tell their story and share their beer beyond the Okanagan. When Alexis and Tim took over, the brewery was shipping beer province-wide on a larger scale. They chose to scale back while they perfected new recipes and made changes to the brewery, focusing on their community and their own backyard, so to speak. But now it’s time to start growing, and I, for one, am very excited at the prospect of being able to find more Tin Whistle beer in the Fraser Valley! The Peach Cream Ale is already available around the province in BC Liquor stores, but I’m looking forward to having a wider variety to choose from.

Of course, the third goal for the coming years is to continue to push forward to become independently carbon neutral and further their environmental projects. The project Alexis most wants to focus on next is the large-scale solution for recycling spent grains as a raw material in other production cycles.

Throughout our conversation, one theme came up again and again (other than themes of sustainability, of course): community and collaboration. Running a business usually means competition, staying tight-lipped about your plans, and protecting your interests. But in the craft beer industry, it means something different. The week that Tim and Alexis took over the business, she tells me, every other brewery in town came in to say ‘hi’, to meet them, and share their beer. They were taken aback by the warm welcome from their competitors, but quickly learned that craft beer is a collaborative community. And I can’t help but agree that that is what makes the industry so special.

Cheers to another 30 years of sustainable craft beer, Tin Whistle!

The post Celebrating 30 Years with Canada’s First Carbon-Neutral Brewery: Tin Whistle Brewing Co appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

Many of British Columbia’s craft breweries strive to improve their environmental sustainability on an ongoing basis. Most breweries divert the spent grains leftover after the brewing process from the landfill by giving them to local farmers who use them for animal feed or as compost. Some breweries work towards reducing their waste to near-zero levels. Others have lowered their emissions by improving their efficiency or adopting newer technologies. 

Here is an overview of how some of BC’s craft breweries keep the environment at the forefront of their business practices.

Farm Breweries

British Columbia is home to several farm-based breweries that grow barley and hops that they use in their own batches of beer. 

Abandoned Rail Brewing

As one of just a handful of farm breweries in the province, Abandoned Rail Brewing plants, grows, harvests, and uses five acres of barley onsite. This is huge in the way of reducing carbon emissions for the logistics required in ordering barley through regular channels. On top of this farming, they have tweaked their recipes and brewing techniques to be able to use their unmalted barley in each beer they make, further reducing emissions typically required in shipping and malting.

And then there’s the apples… Grown on site and supplemented by their neighbours!

Abandoned Rail Brewing can be found on the Penticton Ale Trail.

Barnside Brewing 

Barnside Brewing is a true farm-based craft brewery, using its own hops (100%) and grains (wherever possible) in its products. By processing these ingredients locally (with companies like Field Five Farms in Saanichton), and brewing onsite, Barnside significantly minimizes its carbon footprint and keeps our agriculture industry strong. The farm recycles all of its spent grain, hop harvest waste, and kitchen waste by composting and reapplying as green manure to the hop fields each year. Farming practices focus on organic methods wherever possible, and utilization of integrated pest management to reduce the need for any chemical applications.

Barnside Brewing can be found on the South of the Fraser Ale Trail.

Crannóg Ales

As Canada’s first farm-based brewery, Crannóg Ales has led the way in ecologically sensitive brewing. The brewery’s central tenet is making great, classic beers sustainably, which begins with the sustainable baseline of organic certification, ensuring that everything upstream of the brewery is also organic. Organic principles are based on care for the Earth, natural systems, and people, from biodegradable cleaners and sanitizers to low-impact packaging to water reclamation and protection of agricultural land. The brewery looks after its downstream impact by reducing energy use, packaging only in reusable glass or kegs, reducing water use, and protecting its wetlands. 

In-house environmental practices go far beyond the minimalist approach of using recycled paper and getting spent grains to a farmer. From on-farm composting to water reclamation to ensuring swag is organic and sweatshop-free, social and environmental factors are the priority.

Crannóg Ales can be found on the Southern Interior Ale Trail.

Locality Brewing 

Since opening in 2021, Locality’s focus has been to reduce transportation emissions from the field all the way to your glass. They grow and/or buy more than 80% of ingredients from local farmers. They also deliver products in their EV. 

Over the past two years, with the help of Destination BC and BC Green Business audits, Locality Brewing has formulated a plan to reduce its water usage and improve wastewater recycling. With the support of a local process wastewater specialist and a grant from Destination BC, they are installing a system that will recycle their process wastewater for use around the picnic area grounds and hop yards for irrigation. The target is to commission this system and run the necessary quality testing by July, so if you visit the farm and notice some very green grass this summer, you’ll understand why.

Locality Brewing can be found on the Langley Ale Trail.

Persephone Brewing

An 11-acre farm and microbrewery on the Sunshine Coast, Persephone’s passionate team is committed to brewing amazing beer through local agriculture and community connectedness. In addition to committing to growing its own barley and hops, the farm produces organic feed for neighbouring livestock and has its on-site produce market. Persephone has twice been nominated as a “Best for the Environment” B-Corp business.

Persephone Brewing can be found on the Sunshine Coast Ale Trail.

Urban Breweries

BC’s urban breweries are also working hard to reduce their environmental footprint. Here are some examples.

Bridge Brewing Company — Zero Waste

Bridge Brewing has worked hard to be 99% waste-free across all aspects of its business operations. There is no garbage pickup at Bridge — everything brought in is either reused or recycled. Staff carefully examine what is bought to ensure it fits into the Zero Waste philosophy.  While recycling is great, reusing is better so Bridge created a return policy for its white plastic can toppers: bring them back clean and in reusable condition, and you will receive a 25-cent credit for each one. The record return was 800 toppers. Now that’s a lot of plastic diverted from the landfill!

Bridge Brewing can be found on the Vancouver’s North Shore Ale Trail.

Dog Mountain Brewing – Circular Economy

Dog Mountain Brewing took part in the Circular Economy Accelerator Program. The program looked at water usage, electricity, packaging (to and from the brewery), light fixtures, toilet flows, etc. Dog Mountain received an overall score of 50% in circularity, meaning that they are reusing, recycling, repurposing, and reducing 50% of their business operations (considered a very good score for a brewery). The brewery also ranked well below the industry average for water usage and electricity usage, despite having an electric brewhouse.

The main area where Dog Mountain excelled was in its internal reuse section with a score of 100%. The brewery buys certified used equipment for the business, and they have become adept at doing their own repairs, which further cuts down on the carbon footprint of having technicians travel to their location. They reuse everything from buckets and grain bags to Pak-Tecks, and have also sourced salvaged wood where possible for their new expansion project.

Dog Mountain Brewing can be found on the Vancouver Island Ale Trail Part II

Faculty Brewing – Renewable Energy

Faculty pays for 100% renewable natural gas through Bullfrog Power. Gas is used as a source of heat both for boiling the beer and to heat the building. Also, in the tasting room, beer is served straight from the bright beer tanks rather than from kegs, which reduces the amount of cleaning and saves water and chemicals. Faculty also uses carshares and shares distribution with several other Vancouver breweries.

Faculty Brewing can be found on the Vancouver – Brewery Creek Ale Trail

Phillips Brewing & Malting — Sustainability

Victoria’s Phillips Brewing has been a leader in environmental stewardship and sustainability in the craft beer industry for a long time. The brewery does a wide variety of things to reduce its footprint — most notable is its carbon recapture system, which won the brewery the 2015 Master Brewers Association of America’s Award of Excellence in Sustainability

Phillips Brewing can be found on the Greater Victoria Ale Trail.

Tin Whistle Brewing – Certified Carbon-Neutral

Under new ownership since September 2000, Penticton’s original craft brewery Tin Whistle Brewing has a new mission to be carbon-neutral and waste-free. It is also working on an exciting new technology that involves using green algae to convert some of the CO2 created during the brewing process into oxygen. Customers also get 25 cents off their next four-pack purchase when they bring back the Pak-Teck rings that hold the cans together (the rings themselves are also made from recycled plastic).

This Earth Day, Tin Whistle has announced that not only is it BC’s first carbon-neutral brewery, it is also a zero-waste facility!

Tin Whistle Brewing can be found on the Penticton Ale Trail.

Tailout Brewing — Re-Using and Reducing

Located in Castlegar, Tailout Brewing works hard to reduce its carbon footprint in a variety of ways. The brewery collects all cardboard flats for reuse and recently completed a full canning run (approximately  160 flats) using plastic PakTechs (can rings) that had been returned by customers and local accounts. This initiative not only helped minimize waste but also engaged the community and raised awareness about environmental impact.

Tailout has also established partnerships with other nearby breweries to reduce their carbon footprint during deliveries. Through this collaboration, the breweries meet in the middle to swap beers, optimize their delivery routes, and save on gas while reducing fossil fuel emissions.

Tailout Brewing can be found on the Kootenay Rockies West Ale Trail.

Tofino Brewing – Ocean Friendly

Tofino Brewing is registered through the Surfrider Pacific Rim Chapter, doing its part to keep beaches pristine for fellow community members and generations to come. As a Gold Certified BC Green Business member, Tofino Brewing undergoes annual evaluations to track sustainability progress and make continuous improvements. The brewery uses biodegradable EcoRings for their cans, which are made completely of agricultural fibre waste to avoid plastic ending up in the pristine environment in and around Tofino. They have also developed designated systems and equipment to recapture water used in the brewing process so that it can be reused in subsequent brews.

Whistle Buoy Brewing — Seed to Glass

Victoria’s Whistle Buoy Brewing takes sustainability very seriously. The brewery works with local farmers and producers to source most of the ingredients used in its recipes within a short distance from the brewery, including 95% of the grain they use, which is grown and malted just 20 minutes away at Field 5 Farm. Many of Whistle Buoy’s other beer inputs, including fruit, some hops, and more, are sourced in a regenerative way from independent producers on southern Vancouver Island.

A lot of what they have been up to from a sustainability perspective is captured in their short film called Seed To Glass.

Whistle Buoy Brewing can be found on the Greater Victoria Ale Trail.

The post How Earth Day Inspires BC’s Sustainable Craft Breweries appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

As an avid hiker, I spend a lot of time exploring the wilderness here in BC. A little trail therapy does wonders for the mind. Perched near the top of the Stawamus Chief, I was enjoying a well earned, refreshing beverage when the conversation led to the upcoming Earth Day on April 22nd, and I wondered what steps our local breweries were taking to reduce their environmental footprint. Later that night I began to do some research and was elated to learn that there are several BC breweries working hard to protect our precious ecosystems and are striving for a green future.

Five breweries that are making a difference

As one can imagine, there are many environmentally conscious practices a brewery can employ. Some are common and traditional and some are born out of innovation. Matt Phillips of Phillips Brewing and Malting Co on the Victoria Ale Trail, is known for the latter. At Phillips, they have implemented several steps to reduce their impact on the environment including; capturing the heat from their refrigeration units to heat their offices, recapturing the steam from the brewing process to heat the water for their next batch and building a one-of-a-kind system that recaptures the C02 emitted during fermentation which actually won them an Award of Excellence in sustainability. As part of a bottle pool group they use recycled bottles, they gift their spent grain to local farmers to feed their cows and have implemented a water reduction strategy that uses 30% less water per pint than they did just 5 years ago.

Crannóg Ales in Sorrento opened in 2000 as Canada’s first certified organic farmhouse microbrewery. They operate with a zero waste policy in all areas. Spent grain is fed to the many farm animals such as pigs, chicken and sheep, as well as being added to compost to then fertilize the land. The grey water from the brewing process is used for irrigating and even the brewing equipment itself is second hand. It was actually the original equipment used at the Horseshoe Bay Brewery back in 1982.

Red Truck Beer Co has a massive state of the art facility in the heart of the Vancouver Ale Trail with many innovations in place. By running a variable frequency drive compressor to operate the control valves and automated processes, they save enough energy to power 4.5 households per year. They recapture 99% of the heat from the brewhouse and kettle stack which is used to heat cold city water, and they have reduced their lighting energy demands by 37% with the use of natural light and the installation of LED lights throughout the facility.

Persephone Brewing Co in Gibsons, on the Sunshine Coast Ale Trail is also a thriving beer farm. Like Crannóg, they produce their own hops onsite as well as apples for cider. They use their greenhouse and market garden to produce organic field vegetables that are used in the onsite food service and sold at their farm stand and have developed systems to reclaim the runoff water to use for crop irrigation. They also compost all their grain, hops and yeast from the brewing process as seen in the picture below. Bronson Moore from Bricker’s Cider is lending a hand after a collaboration brew day with fellow Sunshine Coast breweries where they created an “Orchard Ale”. 

The brand new Bulkley Valley Brewing in Smithers has a very unique set up. In the summer, all of their electrical, heating and cooling with be run with solar power thanks to panels installed on the building. They are grid-integrated with a 60 hour battery back up. As part of the grid, any excess energy generated in the summer time is credited to get them through the darker winter months. They also have all LED lighting, LED TVs and heat the facility using a pellet stove. They will even be sourcing their hops from nearby Hazelton Hop Farm that is also powered by solar!

The more I looked into the breweries around the province, the more evident it became that many of them already have systems in place to reduce energy use, water consumption and repurpose their byproducts. With the collaborative nature of the craft beer community, many are sharing their best practices and working together to find new ways to be more efficient.

So this Earth Day, as you turn off the lights, light some candles and crack into that newly released IPA, know that as an industry, the craft brewers of BC are not only creating some world class beers, they are also taking steps to ensure future generations will be able to enjoy them out in the pristine beauty of our province.

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