21 Drink beer, save the planet

Drink BEER save the planet

Brewgooder, an Edinburgh-based brewer, donate 100% of its profits to clean water charities.

Here’s how you can get involved...

BREWGOODER: SPONSORED CONTENT MAIN IMAGE: On tap: a Brewgooder clean water tank TOP LEFT: Clean water lager: craft, crisp and creative BOTTOM LEFT: Founder Alan Mahon is brewing a world of good FAR RIGHT: Brewgooders projects help communities in Malawi who are facing water poverty

Think of the ways people raise money for charity. A half marathon. A sponsored silence. Growing a moustache. Drinking a beer probably isn’t on that list. Here’s where Brewgooder comes in to save the day.

Based in Edinburgh, its Clean Water Lager is distributed around the UK in selected retailers and bars. It donates 100% of profits made to clean water projects in Malawi and has successfully funded 130 projects, from water tanks to wells, affecting over 64,000 lives.

So why beer? Brewgooder believes that the craft beer industry represents the best qualities in human society; innovation, collaboration, passion and diversity. Beer is a powerful social weapon, going for a pint is the default for most of us. They want to harness the social nature of beer for good.

A lack of safe drinking water seems unimaginable to us - yet globally, 880 million people don’t have access to it. In Malawi alone, over five million people lack safe water access. In Malawian communities, there’s a saying, “Madzi ndi Moyo” translating to “water is life”. As such, all fundraising will be spent in Malawi to bring water and life to more and more native communities.

So far, funds raised from the sales of Clean Water Lager in retailers and bars have contributed to the installation of a water tank and have repaired wells and boreholes across Malawi through their partnerships with charity partners.

This month, Brewgooder is hosting a

“Water is life”

- Madzi ndi Moyo

Global Gathering, a collaboration project that will unite the most diverse breweries around the world to end water poverty for 100,000 people over World Water Day Weekend, 20-22 March.

They want breweries to collaborate and contribute towards creating a unique brew released on the same day, March 20th and fundraise at least £500. This can be achieved through taproom events, beer festivals or online fundraising. Brewgooder will provide a dedicated

fundraising manager and hands-on help. Even beer giants like Brewdog have got on board, raising £20,000 in the process. So how can you, the casual drinker, get on board? Well, you can simply buy a pack of cans. Then drink them. It’s that simple. You can buy Brewgooder ale and lager online or in selected retailers and bars. You can even subscribe to get cans or bottles delivered to your office on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis. We should say we don’t endorse drinking at the workplace, but it is for charity so… It’s important to note that the production of beer and alcohol, unfortunately, has many ethical and sustainability issues. The labour costs and transport associated with distribution means beer isn’t the best for the planet. Beer production also uses an incredible amount of water, so a donation to a clean water charity is a wise and ethical consumer choice. It also remains an easy way to donate to charity. Unlike a marathon, the only exercise involved is putting the beer to your mouth, which admittedly can be a bit taxing after the fourth or fifth can.

Check out the Brewgooder shop: brewgooder.com/shop