The very word "organic" elicits emotional reactions from people.
"That's the stuff of naked hippy farmers," swipe its detractors,
while devotees of organic swear they break out in hives if
they even look at the Safeway produce section.
Whatever your affiliation, organic agriculture is defined
by the Organic Trade Association as "an ecological production
management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity,
biological cycles, and soil biological activity. It is based
on minimal use of off-farm inputs that restore, maintain,
and enhance ecological harmony." What this means for you
and me is that organic agricultural products are plant-
or animal-based in origin and do not make use of synthetic,
petrochemical-based pesticides and fertilizers. Which brings
us to beer. Those among us with sensitive constitutions
will be glad to know that barley and hops can be grown organically
and processed without the use of scary chemical additives
or cleaners.
Many people wisely choose to avoid ingesting synthetic
and petroleum-based chemicals. For some it's a political
choice as people become increasingly disgusted with the
destructive aspects of conventional farming and its effect
on water quality and soil nutrient depletion. Still others
choose to support small organic farmers because they like
to root for the little guy. The common thread of all organic
advocates is their vision for the future: a vision based
on long-term sustainability, rather than short-term profits
and perfect-looking produce.
There are shades of differences within the organic hierarchy
and the levels of "organicness." Third-party certification
agencies act as clearinghouses for information to farmers
and the public alike, as well as providing independent testing
to ensure farmers' compliance with stated claims. State
certification is another option that allows the use of the
term "organic" in marketing. Some producers use organic
ingredients and methods but choose not to certify at all
due to the expense. Oregon's third-party program, the Oregon
Tilth Certification Program, possesses the most stringent
guidelines of all tilth organizations in the country.
Ideally, organic beer shouldn't taste any different, be
any harder to make, or cost any more than the rest. But
organic grain often comes from Canada, and organic hops
often hail from New Zealand, where the plant thrives without
predatory pests or diseases. Organic production involves
citric-based, rather than chemical-based, cleaning agents
and a little more human effort. Otherwise, everything is
pretty much the same. Most organic-beer brewers, like Alan
Sprints of Hair of the Dog, aim to brew "good beer organically--instead
of brewing organic beer."
While there aren't many organic beers available on the
shelves yet, their numbers are growing. Bottles can be found
at Nature's and your neighborhood health-food store as well
as specialty beer shops. Following is a description of beers
available in the Portland market.
From Eugene comes Spencer
Butte's McKenzie Pale Ale. This smooth ale is full
of rich malt character with some herbal hoppiness. The result
is a rough style appropriate to its rugged image. Certified
organic by Oregon Tilth.
Hair
of the Dog brewed an organic ale named "Greg" after
Greg Higgins of Higgins restaurant fame. Greg, the beer,
was brewed special for the Chef's Collaborative event, a
coalition of chefs promoting the use of organic foods. Greg
is a medium-strength pale beer making use of the kambocha
(green pumpkin) squash for about one-third of the total
sugars, lending it a distinctly squashy, pumpkin taste.
This beer is available on draft at Higgins
only.
Wolaver's
Pale Ale, Brown Ale and IPA, the trio from the Panorama
Brewing Company, are the most visible of all organic beers.
All are well-made and well-balanced, brewed by the North
Coast Brewing Company in Fort Bragg for the West Coast market.
All are certified by the Oregon Tilth, and the company has
pledged to donate 10 percent of after- tax profits to nonprofit
agencies.
Butte
Creek in Chico, Calif., produces an Organic Ale
and an Organic Porter. The beers are both on the herbal
bitter side, with the porter being roasty and sharp and
the ale in the style of an American amber--hoppy and caramelly
sweet. Butte Creek is certified by California as an organic
producer.
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Willamette Week | originally
published November 23,
1999
|
