Let’s toast to more sustainable beer brewing… on this CurrentCast.

Ever been told that if you want to save water, drink ale instead? Unfortunately, there’s not much truth to the joke. A lot of water goes into making beer.

Christenson: “It can vary from about three liters to six liters of water per liter of finished product produced.”

That’s Tod Christenson, Director of the Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable. He says water is used during the brewing process, as well as for cleaning and cooling.

But there’s change brewing! Christenson says by fixing leaks, recycling water used for cooling, and optimizing their cleaning methods, beer-makers in the Environmental Roundtable have increased their efficiency by fifteen percent in three years. Now I’ll raise a glass to that!

CurrentCast is produced in partnership with Cornell’s Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future. Learn more online at CurrentCast.org.