Regen barley makes world’s first offset-free carbon negative beer
12th July 2023
South London-based Gypsy Hill has become the first brewery in the world to create carbon negative beer without offsetting emissions by combining innovative brewing techniques with barley grown using regenerative farming methods.
Gipsy Hill’s carbon negative Swell lager has a footprint of -40gCO2e.
The brewery’s latest Swell Lager and Trail Pale beers have carbon footprints of -40gCO2e and -30gCO2e per pint respectively, whereas a typical pint of beer emits at least 350g of CO2, with many craft IPAs starting at 500gCO2e.
The new carbon-conscious beer range is produced using barley from a regenerative farm and hops which have been recaptured and reused.
It marks the first time in history that a brewery has produced carbon-negative beer without using carbon offsetting, a controversial process where businesses reduce the carbon footprint of products through activities unrelated to their production – for example planting trees in another part of the world.
The regenerative barley used by the brewery is sourced exclusively from Wildfarmed, which works with farmers to implement regenerative practices such as intercropping, cover cropping, and reduced tillage to improve soil health, reduce erosion and sequester carbon.
These practises mean that the resulting barley sequesters more carbon in the soil than it releases into the atmosphere.
Recaptured hops are also used to keep the beers environmentally-friendly. These are the hop material that has been removed after fermentation from a previous batch of beer and then reused to bitter and flavour a new batch of beer. They would usually be thrown away in a typical brewing process, meaning greenhouse gas emissions from their use are zero.
The complete carbon lifecycle of the beers has been independently analysed by Zevero, a specialist carbon accounting firm. The study accounted for the full life cycle of the products, from the growing of the ingredients to the end of life of packaging, meaning punters can enjoy a pint knowing it has left the environment in a better state than it was.
Sam McMeeken, co-founder of Gipsy Hill Brewery, said: “Making great quality beer has been our obsession for 10 years, but I felt we had to find a way to do it more sustainably.
“Great beer should be guilt-free, and our new Trail Pale and Swell Lager mean that for the first time, our drinkers can enjoy a pint safe in the knowledge it’s actively improving the environment and helping solve our climate crisis.
“By truly embedding sustainability into our brewing process, rather than simply offsetting emissions, we have created a blueprint for sustainable beer range, but the wider food and drink industry.”
Ben Richardson, co-founder and CEO at Zevero, added: “The work Gipsy Hill is doing with their focus on regenerative agriculture is not only exciting for this range, but should also be seen as a model for the whole industry to move away from the reliance on offsets in climate programmes.”
The beers are currently available in a number of locations, including Gipsy Hill’s taproom and sister bar in South London, The Understudy at the National Theatre, Kerb Street food markets, Seven Dials Market and a selection of Youngs venues around the UK.
