As the drought in California wears on, some people have been ruminating over what effect the water shortage could have on brewing production. It’s a worthy worry, since beer is mostly water—it can take up to five barrels of water to make one barrel of beer. (One barrel of beer is equal to 31 gallons). But does that mean beer-lovers need to switch to a different beverage? And at what cost?
The Numbers
California Craft Brew Stats
According to a recent report from the California Craft Brewers Association, the craft beer industry created more than 48,000 jobs in 2014 and contributed more than $6.5 billion to the state’s economy. As of March, 2015, California boasted 554 breweries in operation, and you can be certain a few more have opened since then! California also exports about a third of its beer; of the 3.4 million barrels produced, 1.3 million barrels were exported. To help put that in perspective, that export number is higher than the total production of all the other states, except Pennsylvania and Colorado.
So money is good, but what about the water? A bit of research news that’s been making headlines may help ease some of the water-guilt tension affecting many beer lovers (and brewers).
The Water
California craft brewers use about 558 million gallons of water annually to process their beer. Another 93 million gallons is actually used in the beer itself. So at a total of 651 million gallons of water used annually to brew beer, how much of an impact is brewing having on the California water supply?
Very little, it turns out. According to the research, 651 million gallons of water is the same as a year’s water for 12,000 people. That’s also the equivalent to the annual demand of a 640-acre almond orchard (California has 1,020,000 acres of almonds). And while it’s true that almonds may be getting more than their share of blame as water tables lower, the relative difference in water demands is striking.
From the LA Times–Water used to make favorite beverages
When in Doubt …
So what else are the experts saying? Charlie Bamforth, professor of Malting and Brewing Sciences at UC Davis, disagrees with the common fallacy that beer takes up to five barrels of water for each barrel of beer, and puts the number more at three to one. This change, he says, is due to the fact that large scale breweries have gotten much more efficient and benchmarks more stringent.
Bamforth also points out the extra water needed to bottle and distribute beer compared to beer that is served in a pub or taproom. So if you are serious about reducing your water footprint while still enjoying a brew, consider having your next beer at your local brewery or pub. Even the water used to prepare and clean a keg for distribution is small compared to the amount needed to clean an equivalent amount of bottles.
So raise a toast (preferably draught) to beer! Because drinking responsibly can have more than one meaning …