Earthblog

Pallet upon pallet of German tile made specifically for breweries sits off to the right as we walk toward the fermentation cylinders. I pick up a tile and it feels like gravity condensed. It’s pleasing to hold and contemplate, it lures you into thinking about sustainability simply because it feels like it will last—how could it not, it feels heavier than steel? Odell’s decided to forego the costly and lengthy LEED certification process, choosing instead to spend the money on sourcing materials locally (think Loveland sandstone) and eco-technology. The 80’ x 155’ room next door will be covered entirely by photovoltaic cells, generating roughly 40% of their current energy usage. Overhead, solar tubes let in an amazing amount of daylight.  In the far room, the cooler, they’ll refrigerate the beer using air from the outside—when the seasons allow. There is more than one way to be sustainable, and more than one way to spend money. To hope is to know that there are things in this world like daylight harvesting, and to know there are things made by people who want them to last.