Page 11 - Sphere No.23 (Dec 2008)
Basic HTML Version
T
HE RANGE OF ORGANIC
products available to the pub-
lic grows wider every year and now even includes that
most popular of beverages – beer. The biggest mar-
ket is in the US and in June some 75 organic ales and lagers
were showcased at the North American Organic Brewers
Festival in Portland, Oregon, the world’s largest gathering
of its kind.
Most operators tend to run small businesses serving a small
geographical area but public demand for these products is
growing rapidly and now even giant global brewers like An-
heuser-Busch and Carlsberg are producing organic beers
of their own.
In Hong Kong, the market is still at an early
stage, but several organic beers are now avail-
able at PARKnSHOP International stores, TASTE
and GREAT. Most interest comes from expa-
triate customers but as these beers become
more popular, PARKnSHOP will look to source
additional brands.
According to Produce Green Foundation, an
environmental group which has set up the first
organic farm in Hong Kong, this is another sign that
Hong Kong people are becoming much more aware
about green lifestyles.
“Like other organic products, organic beer is a step in the
right direction. It’s good for people’s health and it’s good for
the planet. It’s a welcome development,” says founding chair-
man Simon S C Chau. “Total sales of organic products in Hong
SPHERE
9
New
trends
Kong are doubling every few months. It’s very encouraging.”
The big question on the tip of everyone’s tongue is, of course,
does organic beer taste better? Brewers say that organic hops
typically offer a better and stronger aroma and that or-
ganic malts and hops have no chemical residues to
interfere with the fermentation process.
But let the last word go to some people
who should know what they are talking
about, the team at the authoritative web-
site
, who have this to
sayonthe subject: “Thedemandfororganicbeer
and lager has prompted a real interest amongst
beer lovers about the way that their beers are
made and how the ingredients are grown.
“Being in its relative infancy, organic beer brew-
ing is limited in variety, but what it lacks in range it
makes up for in consistent high standards. As there is current-
ly no big money to earn in organic beer, its makers do it for
the pure love of it. This dedication and love shows up in the
final product.”
Cheers!
Good
Brews
Organic beer
goes down a treat
The question
on the tip of
everyone’s tongue
is does organic beer
taste better?
