With Earth Month upon us, you may be thinking of ways to help the planet and support local ecosystems. Why not raise a glass for local land protection?
This April, Durham’s own Fullsteam Brewery partnered with TLC to create a new Farmhouse Lager, as part of the Earth to Beer movement. This national initiative challenges brewers to craft a packaged beer that is better for the planet, and this year a portion of the proceeds from Fullsteam’s new creation will go to support TLC’s work to protect clean water, natural habitats, and support local farms in the Triangle.
“Triangle Land Conservancy’s public land has been a refuge and respite for my family over the decades, with life-shaping experiences aplenty: the creek at Johnston Mill, the open fields and massive oaks at Brumley Forest, the wilds of White Pines,” said Sean Lilly Wilson, Chief Executive Optimist at Fullsteam Brewery, who has also served on TLC’s Board of Directors for the past six years.
“So, when it came time to select a nonprofit to receive a portion of proceeds from our Earth to Beer participation, the choice was easy,” said Wilson. “A swan song (swig song?) to a nonprofit I love, protecting lands I love, for a family and community I love.”
Fullsteam joins more than 35 other breweries across the nation participating in the Earth to Beer movement. In addition to donating a portion of the proceeds to a local environmentally focused nonprofit, the movement tasks brewers to intentionally source environmentally responsible ingredients for their beer. The choice of beer style is up to each brewery, based on what sustainable ingredients they choose to use, as well as creating a beer they know will resonate with their customers.
The new brew is a smooth and delicate farmhouse lager with 100% of its ingredients from North Carolina, including Tidewater Carolina Gold rice, Eastern North Carolina triticale (a wheat/rye hybrid), and malted barley from both Epiphany and Riverbend. Brewed with saison yeast and hops that lend light tropical and citrus notes, the beer is cooled and lagered for a smooth, clean finish. Lemon and fresh-cut grass give it a Carolina springtime sense of place.
Be sure to stop by Fullsteam, which has locations in downtown Durham and Boxyard RTP, to grab a can of this delicious lager and give a toast to the planet!
