Organic Beers 1

Top Ten Organic Beers

The first thing that comes to mind when the words “green beer” are mentioned, we tend to think of St. Patrick’s Day parades and beer that has been dyed a festive colour by the addition of a few drops of innocuous food colouring. However, in this case, we’re referring to organic beers, and these lovely green examples of the world’s most popular beverage are sure to make you a convert to eco-friendly ales, stouts, hefeweizens and lagers. Here’s our Top Ten list of organic beers.

#1. Black Isle Brewery Organic Porter

Any person who lives in or has visited Scotland knows that a trip to the Highlands is worthwhile just to have a drink of water. Boasting of the best tasting water on the planet, an organic beer made with the stuff is going to have that competitive edge when it comes to taste. Brewed in Munlocky, this very dark brown porter has an aroma that’s almost fruity and reminiscent of freshly roasted coffee beans. The taste is that of any good porter: rich, deep, bitter like coffee but has the added touch of an aftertaste of dark chocolate. Black Isle Brewery Organic Porter is not a beer to be downed quickly; only savouring it with patience will let the drinker appreciate just how magnificent this brew is.

#2. Redoak Boutique Beer Cafe Organic Hefeweizen

Hailing from Australia, this organic hefeweizen is a little bit clearer than a traditional hef, but still has a refreshing taste that’s perfect on very hot days. Using a classic Weihenstephan strain of yeast for brewing, the aroma is like candied fruit rather than the more usual banana, but the beer finishes with a long note hinting of exotic spices. Reviewers claim that the best way to experience this beer is to pair it with a green salad with olives, feta cheese, and a dressing made with olive oil combined with a drop of the hefeweizen. Heaven!

#3. Samuel Smith’s Organic Strawberry Fruit Beer

This English organic fruit beer has a taste that has been described as “mind-blowing”, and is capable of converting fruit beer haters into fruit beer lovers. The problem with many fruit beers, organic or not, is that the fruit flavouring can be overpowering and synthetic. Samuel Smith’s Organic Strawberry smells and tastes of strawberries that have been picked when perfectly ripe, and the finish is clean and tidy. This delightful beverage is smooth and has no residual bitterness or sourness, which can be the downfall of lesser fruit beers.

#4. Elliott Bay Brewing Alembic Pale Ale

This beer from a well-known Seattle, WA brew-pub is a favourite beer among the locals simply because it tastes great; in fact, because the company doesn’t toot its own horn for being green, many fans of the Alembic Pale Ale don’t even know it’s organic. Winner of the 2000 Great American Beer Festival, the pale ale has a delightful citric aroma and goes down easily, with a finish of caramel.

#5. Black Isle Brewery Red Kite Ale

The Black Isle Brewery does it again with this medium-bodied ale that’s refreshing on a hot summer day but is also tremendously satisfying in the winter, which is a task most other beers cannot do. Classic organic British hops and lovely malt from Scotland make this a beer to be experienced. The Red Kite Ale pairs exceptionally well with good Scottish home cooking such as vegetable soup, mince, neeps and tatties (a mince meat stew with mashed turnips and potatoes) and also serves as a delicious chaser for a wee dram of Glenmorangie 18-year-old malt.

#6. Back Hand of God Stout

British Columbia in Canada has been produced some beautiful craft beers that also happen to be organic. One jewel in Canada’s beer crown is the Back Hand of God Stout from the Crannóg brewery that’s brewed in the small town of Sorrento; easy to drink with a delightful roasted flavour and hints of wood and chocolate, this medium-bodied dark beer has aficionados always coming back for more. This beer, for the time being, is not available in bottles and can only be found in at better pubs.

#7. Beyond the Pale Ale

Another winner from Sorrento’s Crannóg brewery is their fabulous version of English Pale Ale. Pacific Gem and Goldings hops give this ale its distinct character, and the finish, unlike other organic ales, is absolutely clean. The beer is very similar to a Northern Bitter, but has a very British Columbian flare. Reviewers claim that Beyond the Pale Ale is one of the best U.K.-style ales in existence.

#8. Natureland Organic Fiestbeer

Also from the Canadian province of British Columbia, Fiestbeer is a beverage that is receiving rave reviews from beer critics across Canada and the United States. The seasonal beer is done in true Munich style, and is brewed especially for the month of October. The standout feature of this brew is its maltiness; regular people exclaim with happiness that this is “one tasty beer”.

#9. Faceplant Winter Ale

From the Nelson brewing company, also in what now appears to be Canada’s organic beer brewing province par excellence British Columbia, this delightful winter warmer is brewed with organic malted barley, brown sugar, and molasses. AT 6.5% ABV, this mild tasting medium bodied beer can pack a real punch, especially after a day of hitting the snow-covered slopes Nelson is famous for. Beer lovers can rejoice as this beer is also available outside of pubs and is sold in cans.

#10. Freedom Organic Lager

This lager from the U.K. features a surprisingly deep flavour and aroma. Brewed in Staffordshire, company brewmasters claim that the award-winning beer owes its exceptional flavour and depth to the water source that requires absolutely no chemical treatment prior to brewing. As far as lagers go, this organic offering is refreshing, crisp, slightly hoppy and wonderfully pure tasting.

Organic beers, critics say, are the better than their non-organic counterparts simply because the quality of the ingredients is so high. If you haven’t given green beers a try yet, now is the perfect time to partake in a few samples and hopefully become a life-long advocate of sustainable brews.