The North American Organic Brewers Festival celebrates
the diversity and range of beer styles being brewed organically; from
pilsner to pale ale, saison to stout, amber ale to lambics. Brewers
from across Cascadia, the heart of organic brewing, pour their beers
alongside organic pioneers from Europe, such as Pinkus Mueller from
Muenster, Germany. Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Northern
California, often referred to as Cascadia, lead the continent in the
number of organic breweries, with nearly half of Oregon’s 80
breweries having produced an organic beer since the first Organic
Brewers Symposium in 2002.
In its fourth year, the festival will again feature
organic beers from across North America, and Europe. The 2007 event
poured 50 organic beers to 7000 people and raised over $2000 for the
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Oregon Tilth (a certification body
dedicated to organic agriculture), and also brought in hundreds of
cans of food for the Oregon Food Bank.
Organic brewers have hewn out a market for themselves,
with organic beer growing by leaps and bounds along with the organic
foods sector. In 2006 North American organic brewers made over 40,000
barrels, with 2007 production expected to increase by more than 25%.
Brewed with ingredients grown without pesticides, herbicides, and
chemical fertilizers, organic beer is good for the environment, the
farmer, and the consumer.
In addition to pouring organic beers the NAOBF features
sustainability oriented vendors, live music, and local and organic
food. The festival is powered by biodiesel, composts food waste, and
will use biodegradable tasting cups.
