Blue Point Brewing looks to turn their focus towards sustainability, and this means looking towards both solar power and restoring oysters to New York City reefs.
When it comes to sustainability, more companies are looking to do what they can to make a change when it comes to things like how they get their power. And for Blue Point Brewing of Long Island, their focus on sustainability is one that includes a multi-step plan to make a difference.
With 2019 marking the inaugural year of their brand new brewery, Blue Point Brewing is looking towards the future when it comes to their plans to be Earth conscious. Not only are they working to restore New York harbor, but they are even doing solar panel installations in order to power their new location.
As part of their solar panel initiative, the brewery has plans to install solar panels at their new location in an effort to reduce the amount of electricity they use. The goal is to be able to offset their electricity usage by 100 percent with renewable energy sources within the next five years. And just in the next year, their hope is to reduce the amount of electricity they are using by up to an impressive 30 percent.
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And while the incorporation of solar panels is fascinating on its own, it is actually Blue Point Brewing’s partnership with the Billion Oyster Project that is the most interesting aspect of their sustainability plans.
Working with the Billion Oyster Project, the brewing company is helping to restore at least one billion oysters to the New York Harbor in the next 16 years. For their part in this partnership, Blue Point Brewing introduced Good Reef Ale, and for every pint of the beer that is sold they will restore five oysters to the harbor.
While five oysters may not seem like a big deal, the reality is that just those oysters can help to filter up to 250 gallons of water in a single day.
Of course, as we are all about those guilty eats (and drinks), we have to point out that Good Reef Ale is not just a beer we buy for a worthy cause (although it is). Instead, this is an ale that has a very light body to it as it is a Belgian Ale with citrus notes. (Honestly, it sounds delicious and the can itself is a winner in my book.)
When I asked Blue Point Brewery about their plans to incorporate more sustainability plans into their beers and brewing, I learned that this is not the first time that they have partnered with an organization to increase an oyster habitat. In fact, they already work with the Massachusetts Oyster Project and Seatuck.
For the Oyster Project, the brewery collaborated on a beer called the Heal the Harbor Pilsner. Much like with Good Reef Ale, for every pint sold 23 oyster shells were recycled back into the harbor.
And it is not just their oyster revival that they are working on, as they are always looking for new ways to be more Earth friendly and increase their sustainability in-house.
Beyond their desire to be more sustainable, the goal of the Good Reef Ale project is to correct years of over fishing that have depleted the ecologically rich waters off of Long Island. As Blue Point Brewery pointed out, at one point, “New York water ways were once the most biologically diverse environments with acres upon acres of oyster reefs.” And with their new partnership, they hope to do what they can to clean up the water and restore it to what it once was.
Considering the good that Blue Point Brewing has already done with their oyster projects, it feels as if we need to keep our eye on this brewery as they do what they can to make a change in the world. And while they may be sticking to their local stomping grounds with this push for sustainability, changing the world starts at home and clearly the brewery knows this.
How do you feel about Blue Point Brewery and their focus on sustainability? Do you want to see more breweries doing things like this? Does their partnership with the Billion Oyster Project make you more likely to pick up their Good Reef Ale? Tell us what you think in the comments.