Hopworks Brewery was founded with a mission to create better, more sustainable ways to make beer. Over the years, it has revolutionized how the beer industry produces its beverages. From implementing renewable energy sources to recycling waste materials, Hopworks Brewery’s efforts are not slowing down any time soon.
Throughout April, Earth Month, Columbia Distributing, a distributor of nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages in Oregon and Washington, highlights Hopworks Brewery and its ongoing efforts to protect the environment.
Signature Products From Hopworks Brewery
Hopworks Brewery offers seasonal beer along with year-round favorites. Hopworks Brewery products include:
Beer Time Pilsner
Beer Time Pilsner is Hopworks Brewery’s pilsner blend featuring a firm, bitter flavor with notes of wildflowers and malt. Its honey, chamomile, and straw scents provide an appealing touch. Beer Time Pilsner is 4.8% alcohol by volume.
Overland IPA
Hopworks Brewery’s Overland IPA offers the sweetness of papaya and mango with the bitterness of an India pale ale (IPA). At 6.7% ABV, this IPA has dank pine and zesty grapefruit aromas.
Tree Frog Organic Pale Ale
Tree Frog Organic Pale Ale is certified USDA organic and made with Mosaic, Amarillo, and Citra hops. The beverage provides floral and juicy flavors and is 5.4% ABV.
Ace of Spades Imperial IPA
The Ace of Spades Imperial IPA beer from Hopworks Brewery is one of their most award-winning beers. Customers will love the flavors of dried apricots, ripe pineapple, pine, and grapefruit mixed with huge hops notes. It is 8.6% ABV.
Robot Panda Hazy IPA
Customers enjoy Robot Panda Hazy IPA for its balance of sweet and bitter flavors. This IPA is 6.2% ABV and is made with Cascade, Lemon Drop, and Denali hops.
Beastly Organic Honey Porter
Beastly Organic Honey Porter is another certified USDA organic beer from Hopworks Brewery. Beer drinkers appreciate its roasted finish with flavors of caramel. This porter is 6.0% ABV and features clover and honey scents.
Making an Environmental Impact Through Sustainability Initiatives
From the beginning, Hopworks Brewery has held sustainability as the top standard for its business processes. It continues to strategize ways to reduce its impact on the planet. For example, 80% of its ingredients come from locally sourced farms within 400 miles of the brewery. This helps reduce travel and fuel waste and gives its beer that unique flavor native to Oregon. It also lets them support their local community – something Hopworks Brewery has always cared about.
About 27% of its beer ingredients are USDA-certified organic. Additionally, it is certified Salmon-Safe, meaning 90% of its hops ingredients come from clean water sources. The brewery also uses renewable energy sources to power its brewhouse, which helps reduce its carbon footprint.
All these efforts awarded Hopworks Brewery Benefit Corporation (B Corp) status in 2015. It is Oregon’s first and only brewery to receive this certification and was the first throughout the entire Pacific Northwest. And it was the seventh brewery to earn B Corp status in the world. B Corp status certifies that a business meets high environmental performance and community-building standards.
Alongside its B Corp distinction, Hopworks Brewery holds other certifications for its success in sustainability. These include the Sustainability at Work: GOLD and Bonneville Environmental Foundation distinctions.
Although the brewery has always been a leader in sustainable beer production, it plans to continue efforts toward this end long-term. By 2025, the company wants to become a high-efficiency brewhouse, working to replace its two-ton CO2 tank with a six-ton tank. This will decrease the frequency of delivery by over 65%.
About Hopworks Brewery
Hopworks Brewery’s mission since its beginning has always been to produce great-tasting beer using sustainable business practices. It wanted to set a standard in the beer industry, encouraging other companies to implement greener strategies and starting conversations among consumers. Its journey begins with its brewhouse and pub in Portland, Oregon. The father-son-duo, Christian and Roy Ettinger, wanted to repurpose the old Sunset Fuel Building on SE Powell, built in 1948.
The brewery began construction and soon turned the space into an industrial, ski-lodge-style pub. To honor their commitment to sustainability, they used environmentally conscious building materials, reused some materials for their furniture and framing, and recycled the remaining waste. They began implementing other sustainability efforts, soon adding a pollinator garden with drought-tolerant and native-species plants.
Hopworks Brewery also aims to help the community it serves. For instance, it sources ingredients only from local farms, which supports the local economy and brings awareness to businesses in the community. In addition, Hopworks Brewery donates 0.5% of its sales proceeds to nonprofit organizations assisting underserved communities.
Discover Brews by Hopworks Brewery at Columbia Distributing
Hopworks Brewery has always made sustainability a top priority. Customers can see this in every can of beer they purchase, as each comes printed with the saying “Protect Our Planet.” Customers across Oregon and Washington can find Hopworks Brewery products and other brands at Columbia Distributing. To learn more about what we offer, contact us today.