A key ingredient in beer, perhaps the most important one, is water. Historically, brewing was a way to purify water, or at least to get your daily liquids in a safe way.
Ancient people discovered that the fermentation and distillation process killed pathogens, providing a sanitary, although intoxicating, means of staying hydrated. So what happens if the water used for brewing beer is contaminated? Can breweries act as protectors of water quality?
Read the rest of this article “The Beer-Renewable Energy-Water Nexus” by Michael Webber at Earth Magazine’s website.