Outdoor-themed approach backed up with B Corp status

By Kyle Kirves

Green beer. … OK, I know I’ve already lost some of you.

Maybe those two words together evoke a regrettable experience with lukewarm keg beer dyed with food coloring on Saint Patty’s Day. Or worse, maybe green beer to you is some concoction colored like a neglected aquarium, brewed in your uncle’s garage in a carboy where exposure to light and heat is … irregular. But stay with me here. The phrase is not something you should be afraid of — in fact, I say embrace it.

Boulder’s Upslope Brewing Co. is giving a whole new meaning to what folks think of when they hear “green beer.”

“Sustainability at Upslope is about measuring and benchmarking our environmental and social impacts so that we can improve upon them. The Brewers’ Association’s Sustainability Benchmarking Program and B Lab’s B Impact Assessment are two tools we use to do this,” according to Lizzy Waters, sustainability coordinator.

Upslope is a certified B Corporation and has been since May 2018. It’s a designation that recognizes a company’s dedication and commitment to high environmental standards and social commitment.

Head brewer Sam Scruby is a tad more blunt: “We’re B Corp certified and that’s kick ass.”

While the designation does signal some things “green,” it is more than that, including health, wellness, and inclusiveness. The company’s resolve is embedded in their culture — and always has been.

“The founders of Upslope have always supported and promoted outdoor recreation and outdoor conservation,” Waters says, speaking of founders Matt Cutter, Dany Page, and Henry Wood. “We have longstanding partnerships with non-profit organizations like Trout Unlimited and Leave No Trace. All three (owners) are avid outdoorsmen and it has been part of our culture and identity since the beginning.”

Photos: Courtesy of Upslope Brewing Company & Jacob W. Frank

The B Corp designation is just the next logical step in more fully realizing that vision. The certification is a validation of the values the company already has, not that the company adopted the values in order to get certified. “We are performing well in energy and water waste — some of the key environmental metrics highlighted by both the Brewers’ Association and B Lab. We can and always will be improving prior to recertification in 2021,” Waters says.

Upslope is one Colorado brewer that is actually leading the way, not just in how they produce beer, but also in selecting whom they choose to do business with.

“For years, we have supported green organizations and initiatives outside of our company,” Waters says. “We created our sustainability program to turn that focus inward and begin looking at how to reduce the impact of our own operations and how to work with other providers and vendors in a conscientious way.”

Customers and potential employees alike are noticing the effort. “A lot of our recent interviews for new hires have mentioned the B Corp designation as important in applying at Upslope,” Scruby says.

“The more people realize that B Corp and sustainability initiatives are larger than just the environmental part, that it affects their benefits and how they are appreciated as an employee, the more interest there is,” Waters adds.

Still, in this day and age where competition seems to be coming from all sides, if you want to be sustainable as a brewery you have to make beer that stands out and keeps them coming back. Upslope does both.

“We laugh now because we used to say Boulder had a ton of breweries when we started (eleven years ago), and we had three beers on tap,” Scruby says. “The landscape has changed immeasurably. The expectation is now that you have a dozen offerings the day you open.”

If you’ve only seen Upslope on the shelf, that may sound puzzling: the brewery tactically packages only a limited number of their beers — the flagship offerings and a seasonal or two for stores — but the tap list is extensive, experimental and impressive. Stop in at either the Flatiron Court or Lee Hill locations and you’ll be greeted by a chalkboard full of the exotic and the familiar, a catalog representing the breadth and depth of Upslope’s brewers’ talents.

“There wasn’t a whole lot of room for brewing a whole lot of beers in the early years. We’ve expanded, experimentally, and we’re in control of it here. We can take bigger risks here,” says Scruby of the catalog hanging above the taps.

Upslope fans and prestige drinkers alike will want to be on the lookout for Upslope’s next Experimental IPA for 2020 brewed with orange blossom honey featuring a blend of hop varieties, including a strain called sabro, which Scruby likens to coconuts and rum. “It really works well with the orange blossom and the honey and makes for a complex beer.”

The commitment to environmental and social responsibility, and a keen awareness for what makes for great, complex, flavorful and sought-after beer — that’s the Upslope recipe for sustainability.

Namasté Solar panels at Upslope Brewing. Photo: Molly Clark

Namasté Solar Ushers in THE SUN

By Natasha Lovato

If you’ve lived in Colorado long, you know that the sun shines about 300 days of the year, which means utilizing the sun for energy is a no-brainer. So, throw together a few engineering nerds, some beer geeks and bada bing bada boom, you’ve got a solar-powered brewery.

Many Colorado breweries have committed to using solar power, including Denver Beer Co., Butcherknife Brewing, Tommyknocker Brewery, New Belgium Brewing, Colorado Boy Pub and Brewery, Ska Brewing, Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery, Left Hand Brewing, Odell Brewing and Upslope Brewing.

Co-owner of Namaste Solar Gerald Espinosa shared his expertise with the environmental and economic impact solar energy has. “I can nerd out on this stuff and can go on ad nauseum,” Espinosa joked. He explained that most of today’s power still comes from 19th century steam-driven turbines. While coal was the fuel of choice, natural gas has overtaken coal due to its cost-competitiveness. Renewable, clean resources like wind, water, geo-thermal and solar result in less dependence on fossil fuels.

In addition to the environment, Espinosa said businesses need predictable energy costs. Solar allows owners to insulate their companies from ever-rising electricity expenses.

“Breweries understand more than most that their business depends on access to quality resources like hops and water,” he said. “This in part influences the conversation around going green. In addition to touting their artisanal crafts, community-orientation or local status, solar is another market differentiator that breweries are eager to broadcast.”

Denver Beer Co. found the benefits by having its Canworks facility run with 100 percent solar energy. Public relations director Diana Crawford proudly shared that 300,000 pounds of coal is avoided each year and DBCO will see a return in its solar energy investment in just five years. “We believe in the importance of environmental stewardship,” she said.

You can find out more about Namasté Solar at https://www.namastesolar.com/.

Kyle Kirves drinks beer, plays guitar, runs trails, and manages projects – all with varying degrees of success. While not a craftsman himself, he is quite content writing about the Colorado artisans who create such wonderful things and memorable experiences.