Brewers Turn Wastewater Into Award-Winning Craft Beer

Imagine cracking open a cold beer at a UN climate conference and finding out it was made from recycled wastewater. That's exactly what happened to attendees in Baku, Azerbaijan last year, and their reaction might surprise you.

Ignace Urchil Lokouako Mbouamboua, a student from Congo, didn't just try the beer. He loved it so much he suggested they make more.

Singapore launched this movement in 2018 when Brewerkz created NEWBrew, a craft beer made with NEWater. NEWater is high-grade treated wastewater that became essential to Singapore's survival as one of the world's most water-stressed countries.

The brewing process is completely safe. Singapore's Public Utilities Board developed a three-step strategy in the 1990s: harvesting rainwater, desalinating seawater, and reclaiming wastewater to create drinking-quality water.

Now breweries worldwide are jumping on board. San Francisco's Epic OneWater Brew and the Czech Republic's ERKO beer have joined the movement. Alberta's Village Brewery recently debuted its own blonde ale made from recycled wastewater.

Jeremy McLaughlin, head brewer at Village Brewery, knows his product raises eyebrows. "There's a mental hurdle to get over of how inherently gross this could be," he admitted. "But we know that this water is safe, we know that this beer is safe, and we stand by our process."

The Ripple Effect

This isn't just about beer. It's about reimagining how we use one of Earth's most precious resources.

Jessica Popadynetz, a public health inspector in Alberta, has watched sustainable beer grow in real time. She expects alternative water sources like wastewater, greywater, and collected rainwater to become standard for both drinking and non-drinking uses in coming years.

These beers prove that recycled water isn't just safe. It's indistinguishable from traditional sources when properly treated.

As climate change intensifies water scarcity worldwide, solutions like this show we can adapt without sacrifice. The future of sustainability might just taste like your favorite craft brew.