by Leah Olson
In my last article, “Small Business, Big Impact,” I talked about how small actions from small businesses can change the world. Now, I want to take a look at what that means in terms of brand responsibility in the craft brewing industry.
But first, why is brand responsibility in the beer industry important? According to Brewers Association for Small and Independent Craft Brewers, in 2019, overall U.S. beer volume sales were down 1.6%, yet craft sales were up 3.6% and now account for 25% of the annual $116.0 billion U.S. market.[1] That is a lot of power and influence. Since 2007, the popularity of craft breweries is on the rise — why? Let’s examine an independent small coastal brewery that sets the bar (pun intended) for brand responsibility.
Fort George Brewery, fondly called “the Fort” by locals, is cozily situated in the heart of the sweet, coastal community of Astoria, Oregon. Established in 2007, the Fort was an early player in Astoria’s most recent economic and cultural revival. At Fort George, they talk about brand responsibility in terms of sustainability. They believe that “Sustainability is not about the world today; it is about how we leave it for tomorrow. This means we must invariably be looking for ways to improve with regards to the environment, the economy, and the community.”
Commitment: Demonstrating brand responsibility is not just about supporting causes and donating money. It’s about committing to social and environmental good and adapting and outfitting your business and team to make a difference. Fort George measures their commitment in terms of their community, their people, and the environment.
Commitment to Community: Pre-pandemic, Tuesday and Thursdays were big nights at Fort George. On the last Tuesday of each month, they host a “Benefit Night” at the pub where a percentage of sales are donated to local non-profits and charities. In 2017, the community raised over $133,000. Fort George also hosts the ever-popular “Thursday Night Lecture Series”— a partnership with the local community college, historical society, and other organizations and individuals. The talks are always free and open to the public.
Commitment to People: A key part of Fort George’s success is their commitment to their people. It is not just about providing meaningful work but also about investing in their employees—whether that be in terms of paid professional development, physical and mental health (benefits like paid vacation and sick time, health insurance, and a retirement plan), and perks (like a pint at the end of each shift, earned meal credits, and an annual keg of Fort George beer for each employee). In addition to more traditional benefits and perks, in 2016, Fort George created the employee bike program and gives a new bicycle to each employee in exchange for committing to ride it to work at least 40 times per year—the goal being to “promote a healthy and happy work environment, open up downtown parking spaces, and reduce [their] carbon footprint.”
Commitment to the Environment: The first step to addressing any environmental issue is to acknowledge your role in the problem. As a brewer and restaurant, Fort George has identified four areas that require extra attention and commitment: purchasing, energy consumption, water consumption, and waste. In terms of purchasing, they’re committed to 1. Buying quality, local, Pacific Northwest ingredients and partnering with local farms, foragers, and fisheries to deliver “hyper-local” menu ingredients and 2. Reducing emissions by limiting beer distribution to Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Traditionally, brewers use copious amounts of energy and water to produce their products, and the first step to addressing the problem, it to measure usage. Fort George began tracking electricity and water usage and actively looking for areas of improvement. They’ve also addressed some deficiencies through equipment upgrades and “process improvements.” They’ve installed LED light bulbs and an energy-efficient walk-in cooler. They became Blue Sky members (Pacific Power’s renewable energy program). Regarding waste reduction and recycling, 100% of spent grain from the brewing cycle becomes feed for a local dairy, and organic kitchen scraps become pig feed. Fort George was also instrumental in introducing curbside composting to the community of Astoria.
Partners: I’ve heard it said that “a rising tide floats all boats.” Here, at the mouth of the mighty Columbia River, that is a particularly apt sentiment. Fort George firmly believes that we are all stronger together. Following in the footsteps of early Pacific Northwest pioneers, they are blazing the trail and leading the way for community and industry partnerships. In 2015, Fort George became a charter member of the Oregon Brewshed Alliance, committed to protecting watersheds throughout the State of Oregon. “In 2017 [they] started reaching out to other businesses, our local government, and community members about working together to advance sustainability initiatives throughout Astoria and Warrenton,” forming the Sustainability Coalition to acknowledge and address their role and responsibility in the areas of solid waste and recycling issues.
Progress: According to Fort George, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure, so the first step is to gather the pertinent information, build baselines, and dive deep into the data.” Since 2016, when the Brewer’s Association released its first Sustainability Benchmarking Report, Fort George immediately adopted the matrix to track, report, and reflect on their progress and search out areas for improvement and opportunity. Follow their progress at https://fortgeorgebrewery.com/about/sustainability/ (Links to an external site.). Ask any employee at Fort George, and they’ll likely tell you that there’s plenty of room for improvement. But, as with any business that pursues brand responsibility it’s not about perfection—It’s about progress. It’s about the journey. The journey to brew a better beer, build a stronger community, and create a healthier planet.
So why are independent craft breweries so darn popular? Successful examples are truly and deeply tied to and committed to their community’s health and success. They don’t just care about brewing excellent beer, but they also believe in creating strong, resilient communities. They care about their employees and their employee’s well-being, and they care about their planet and their planet’s well-being. It’s not just about their authentic commitment to being a responsible brand, but also about their authentic commitment to being a responsible community member that is truly contagious.
[1] https://www.brewersassociation.org/statistics-and-data/national-beer-stats/