Have you ever wondered what goes into your favorite beers? No, no! Not that stuff!

But now that we have your attention, have you ever thought about the energy and other natural resources needed to prepare your favorite beers? Did you know that the brewing industry averages around 7 gallons of water used per gallon of beer produced?

Courtesy image/South Portland Sustainability Office

Of course breweries bring numerous social and economic benefits to our communities, but they also use resources like water and energy at rates exceeding many of our households. The inputs required to produce our favorite beers might come from half a world away, increasing the carbon footprint for each pint.

With the highest rate of breweries per capita (roughly 25.5 breweries per 100,000 residents) here in greater Portland, what impact does that heightened resource use have on our communities? And are there ways in which the industry might be shifting toward more sustainable resource use practices?

According to Allagash Brewery, sustainable brewing practices are the only way forward for the industry and they’re putting those practices to work for its bottom line … and ours, too. In 2022, Allagash used 3.1 gallons of water per gallon of beer produced – less than half of the industry average.

Want to learn how they and other local brewers are able to do this?

Coffee & Climate: Sustainability in the Breweries

Join the One Climate Future team for August’s Coffee & Climate event: Sustainability in the Breweries, Friday, Aug. 10 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Island Dog Brewing, 125 John Roberts Road in South Portland. We are excited to host an event celebrating sustainability and resilience in Maine’s brewery industry with representatives from Orange Bike Brewing Co., Island Dog Brewing and Luke Truman, sustainability coordinator for the Craft Beverage Sector at New England Environmental Finance Center.

Together, several leaders in the industry will share the ways they’ve learned to run their businesses in a way that benefits their employees, helps our communities, and reduces impacts on the environment. No registration is required. We’ll see you there.

South Portland Comprehensive Plan community visioning sessions

The city of South Portland is beginning the process of updating our community’s Comprehensive Plan (CP). The CP is the document that will guide the city’s development over the next 10-plus years.

If you live here, work here, or care about South Portland and would like an opportunity to share your thoughts on what our community’s future might look like – the city wants and needs your help.

On Monday, Aug. 7, the city invites you to one of three Community Visioning Sessions at the South Portland Community Center at 21 Nelson Road. Please select the time that is the most convenient for you: morning (7:30 to 9 a.m.), afternoon (3:30 to 5 p.m.) or evening (6:30 to 8:30 p.m.) . . . and join the conversation.

For more information, visit: https://tinyurl.com/SoPo2040.

Our Sustainable City is a recurring column in the Sentry intended to provide residents with news and information about sustainability initiatives in South Portland. Follow the South Portland Sustainability Office on Instagram @soposustainability.

Steve Genovese is an AmeriCorps/Greater Portland Council of Governments Resilience Corps fellow serving in the South Portland Sustainability Office through September 2023. He can be reached at sgenovese@southportland.org.