Washington State Beer Lovers…Would You Drink This Brew?

The explosion in popularity of craft beers has spawned some pretty interesting brews.  There's a beer that combines guava (yes, the fruit), marshmallow, and vanilla, another that crushed lunar meteorites into dust, and yet another made with yeast grown in someone's beard.

All those may pale in comparison to a beer made in Singapore by Beerwerkz.  Beerwerkz is a popular restaurant and brewery in the country comprised of 64 islands and home to over 5 million people in Southeast Asia.  Beerwerkz brews 27 different beers (some only available seasonally) and offer quite a bit of your typical fare.

They have and IPA, Oatmeal Stout, a Blonde, a Porter, and a Pilsner.  It's the beer they introduced a few years back, and grabbed significant attention at recent climate talks with the United Nations, that has created a bit of a buzz.

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It's Called NEWBrew and It's Made From 'Special' Water

Dubbed the "Modern Pilsner" NEWBrew is made from recycled wastewater.  You read that right...recycled wastewater.  The Washington State Department of Ecology defines wastewater as

water that leaves industries, businesses, farms, and homes. This includes water from sources like sinks, showers, toilets, pulp mills, and manufacturing companies. Different contaminants and pollutants enter wastewater depending on how and where water is used.

Wastewater has been treated and recycled for years.  The City of Kennewick states that when their wastewater is released into the Columbia River (after treatment) it is cleaner than when it came out.  Don't worry, your tap water is not recycled wastewater...but your irrigation water may well contain some.  That doesn't mean some place don't drink it.

Toilet To Tap

Some drought stricken areas have use the "toilet to tap" philosophy to ease the burden on their water supply.  Brewerkz uses the toilet to beer philosophy.  They make NEWBrew with recycled wastewater.  Some that tried it at the UN Climate talks raved about it.  Currently, it is only available in Singapore.  The real question is would you drink beer brewed with recycled sewer water?

Proponents of recycled wastewater say it is cleaner than tap water and may be less toxic than what we already consume based on the treatment process it goes through.  All water can be treated to meet the acceptable standards for the water we drink.  Texas, Arizona, and California already have some areas that use recycled wastewater with other states looking to implement the practice.  That doesn't answer the question though.

Ultimately, if you KNEW that the beer you were picking up off the shelf, ordering at a bar, or being served at a party was made with processed poo water would you drink it?  I gotta go with a really firm no.  Tell me what you want about how it's treated and how great it is...the only vision in my head will be of Mr. Hankey as a part of the fermentation process.  If you are in the yes column...you are a braver soul than I.

If You Think That Is Something

Then you have Pisner.  Pisner (not Pilsner) is another 'sustainably sourced' beer made from malt that was fertilized with around 14,530 gallons of urine.  Maybe it's time to switch to whiskey.