Festival Preview: OR: 6/26 - 6/29 North American Organic Brewers Festival returns.
Located in Portland (Oregon), The North American Organic Brewers Festival celebrates beers - which include Organic ingredients in their beer. In order for an Organic beer to recognized, it has to be made with Organic hops and Organic malt. Unfortunately there aren't too many breweries, exclusively producing Organic beers. But this hasn't stopped many breweries from participating in the NAOBF.
Starting June 26th and running through June 29th, the NAOBF will host over 15,000 supporters of craft beer, visiting the shore of the Willamette River, via Overlook Park. The event, now in its 10th year, will host over 40 breweries and more than 50 beers and ciders. Besides beer, the festival will also feature live local music, organic food and sustainability-oriented vendors and non-profits.
More on NAOBF
The NAOBF is known as the most earth-friendly beer festival on the planet. Festival attendees sample beer from reusable and compostable cornstarch cups made from domestically grown corn by a zero-waste, solar-powered company. Electricity needs are met with biodiesel generators. Volunteers receive organic cotton t-shirts (returning volunteers can wear past T shirts and get extra tokens instead). Food vendors are required to use compostable cutlery and plates and employ sustainable practices, and onsite composting and recycling stations are provided for festival waste and are supervised by recycling czars. Last year’s event recycled and composted 92% of the total waste, marking the second year in a row that more than 90% of the event’s waste was diverted from the landfill.
Lastly, the festival encourages responsible, eco-friendly, transportation to and from the festival, via the Tri-Met MAX Light Rail. The Yellow Line "Overlook Park" Station stops in front of the festival, where bicyclists can drop their bike off at the "Hopworks Bike Corral" and pedestrians can rest easy. International’s “End Polio Now” efforts to eradicate polio worldwide). Patrons receive a $1 discount toward the tasting glass with a validated Tri-Met ticket or a ticket from the Hopworks Bike Corral (one discount per person).
More on why the North American Organic Beer Festival's mission.
Why an organic beer festival? Studies show that the world's population currently consumes 30% more natural resources than the Earth's ecosystems can replenish. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, commercial agriculture is accountable for 70% of the pollution in our country's rivers and streams. Genetically modified ingredients can be found in nearly every grocery store. The NAOBF believes that education and exposure lead to awareness, and awareness can translate to passion. If everyone becomes passionate about sustainability, as a whole we can make the planet a cleaner and healthier place for all of us to inhabit. For more information visit naobf.org.
About the Photo’s author
"Matt Wiater is a photographer covering the Portland beer scene for portlandbeer.org."