CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There's a new beer in town, and it's shining the spotlight on environmental sustainability efforts.
It's called Renew Brew, and it's the first beer in the Carolinas to be brewed with the ultra-sustainable recycled water, QC Water. The beer is a collaboration between Charlotte Water, Town Brewing, and global water technology company Xylem.
The limited-edition pale ale is considered a "demonstration project" and will only be available in tasting events and demonstrations for now. It debuted in February at the Queen City Brewers Festival, and won best in show after a blind tasting competition.
“In an industry where the majority of our product is water, and knowing the large amount of it that it takes to make a single pint of beer, it is vastly important to be a part of any sustainability effort that we can – especially an ingredient as important to us as water,” Federico De La Torre with Town Brewing Head Brewer said.
The water for Renew Brew comes from Charlotte Water's McDowell Wastewater Treatment Plant, but goes through several treatment stages before reaching the beer.
As part of the treatment, the water goes through carbon filtering, reverse osmosis, and advanced oxidation. What ultimately became QC Water was tested for more than 150 potential contaminants, and the team notes it exceeds pathogen reduction requirements as well as the Environmental Protection Agency guidelines through the Safe Drinking Water Act.
While this is the first beer of its kind in the Carolinas, breweries in Oregon, Kentucky, California and Arizona have also produced similar recycled water beers. These different efforts all come in response to concerns over climate change and access to freshwater supplies.
“This project is a testament to our commitment to a circular economy, innovation, and sustainability, and we are excited to showcase the endless possibilities of recycled water," Charlotte Water Director Angela Charles said.
There aren't currently public plans to can and sell Renew Brew, those curious to give it a try can sample it at Town Brewing on April 20.