Organic Beer for Your 4th of July Party

Rather than working, I'm guessing you're putting together your grocery list for Friday's 4th of July BBQ. Of course you can't celebrate American independence without drinking American beer. This year, celebrate American ingenuity as well by picking up some organic brews. Below is a guide to some of the best from The Daily Green.

• Eel River Brewing Company: Based out of Scotia, California, this brewer was the first to be certified organic in the US. The brewery is in a building formerly used as a lumber mill and uses leftover wood chips, bark and other organic matter for energy. They sell a wide range of beers including blondes and I.P.A.'s. You can visit their website HERE.

• Wolaver's Certified Organic Beer: One of the country's original organic brewers, this Vermont beer maker focuses on sustainability from the beginning of the brewing process to the end. The by-product of their brewing is even donated to local dairy farms to be used as cattle feed. They sell ales, porters, lagers and seasonal brews. Check them out HERE.
  

• Butte Creek Brewing: If you want to buy a beer that gives more than a buzz, check out Butte Creek Brewing. In addition to using organic methods, the brewery donates a portion of its proceeds to restoring the Chinook salmon population that has badly dwindled. They sell a porter, pale ale and a pilsner. Their website is HERE.
  

• Peak Organic: Peak is a brand I've seen around Washington, DC. It is a Portland, Maine brewing company that not only uses organic hops, barley and malt in their beer but also infuses local maple syrup in some brews. The brewery began in 1998 with a home beer making kit and has expanded into a great variety of beers including an amber, nut brown ale, maple oat ale and a summer blend. Click HERE for their site.
  

• Lakefront Brewery: Milwaukee, Wisconsin has a long beer tradition that now includes an organic brewer in Lakefront Brewery. The beer is largely distributed throughout the Midwest but is also available at the Whole Foods in Georgetown in DC. They have some unique brews, including a British-style bitter and a gluten free option. Find out where the beer is available by clicking HERE.
  

Don't forget to keep a recycling bin out for your guests so you can easily recycle all those glass beer bottles.