Yesterday was my 21st birthday, so I’m officially allowed to talk to you about beer. Many students and hipsters like myself aspire to be beer snobs (I’m sorry, connoisseurs) and I’m going to teach you how to do it sustainably.
1) To be a true beer guru, but also more sustainable, reach for the craft beer.
Craft brewers generally tend to focus on more local and often organic ingredients because, let’s face it, they’re marketing to a pretty hipster little crowd. Also, chances are you won’t put your $4 beer into a Solo cup (oh, man, please don’t), but will go for a reusable glass instead.
2) If you want to bring your favorite beer home, invest in a growler.
Bring a growler from home, or buy one at the bar and have them fill it up for you. You can get ones that are 32 or 64 ounces and enjoy the beer you love at home with friends without having to buy individual containers.
3) Drink local.
Rochester has some pretty awesome breweries, and there are many great beers that you can find from all over New York State. Go try some out and find what you like. There are always new and exciting beers out every season for you to try. Many stores (like good old Wegmans) have entire sections dedicated to beers from local breweries.
4) Order what’s on tap instead of bottled beers.
If you’re at a bar or brewery, save the waste from the bottle or can and just order a nice, cold glass of what’s on tap. Usually, you can get a nice seasonal beer in whichever style you prefer. You can even order a flight if you’re having trouble deciding between beers and try out a few at once.
5) If you do go for bottles or cans, make sure to recycle!
In New York State, each of those empty drink containers is worth a shiny nickel, which doesn’t sound like a lot until you consider that your empty 30 rack adds up to $1.50 if you bring the empties to a bottle return. That’s a nice down payment on your next beer that you definitely don’t want to throw into the trash.
Let me know in the comments what beers you think I should try now that I’m 21. Drink responsibly, folks.
Photo source here.
Written by Mariah Greico, Class of 2018