The Brewshed® is Back!
Great tasting water is paramount to making great tasting beer.That’s the thinking behind the Fountain Creek Brewshed® Alliance, formed in June 2017 based off of similar initiatives in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.“You can’t make beer without water, and the water in Colorado Springs makes pretty damn great beer,” said Steve Oliveri, from Bristol Brewing, when we spoke with him last year about the newly formed alliance focused on protecting local water resources and ensuring high water quality.“Part of the idea is to connect craft brewers and distributors with water resource protection organizations – including those in government, nonprofit, and higher education,” says Allison Plute from Colorado Springs Utilities. Members of the group either commit to raising funds to support healthy watershed programs, or by participating in cleanups with their staff/patrons.In 2017 many local breweries quickly jumped on board, pledging to do their part talking about, protecting and raising funds for the local “Brewshed®” — waterways that make up the Fountain Creek Watershed. The 2017 Alliance members included: Bristol Brewing, Fieldhouse Brewing, Fossil Craft Beer, Great Storm Brewing, Peaks N Pines, Storybook Brewing, Smiling Toad, Phantom Canyon and Cerberus Brewing.In only 6-months of 2017, the inaugural members held eleven events, including six fundraisers, two clean-ups, one tour and a film screening. The group estimates over 600 people heard about the program and the efforts raised over $1,000.For 2018, the Brewshed® Alliance already has several new members. Goat Patch Brewing, Trails End Taproom and Tap Traders have recently jumped on board to assist in the effort. If you're reading this and want to join, all breweries are invited to attend the first meeting of the year, at end of January. There is no cost for joining the alliance — just a commitment to the program. Stay tuned to their website and Facebook for updates.
“We want to figure out what opportunities and events there will be for 2018,” says Allison Plute, “We are looking at some really fun things that the brewers and the community will love, and will help raise awareness about water in our area.”
Breweries who are interested in attending can contact Allison for details on the upcoming meeting and citizens who want to volunteer with the program can voice their interest as well.
