What is organic beer? (Washington Post)

The Washington Post has an article today (6 May 2008) on organic beers, written by Beer columnist Greg Kitsock.

Some interesting points:

• According to the Organic Trade Association, 2006 sales of organic beers (1% of the craft beer segment) were $25 million, up 32% over 2005.
• Organic malt, according to Hugh Sisson of Clipper City Brewing (Baltimore, Maryland), costs double that of 'regular' malt.
• Until recently, most organic hops came from New Zealand. That is changing.
• According to the USDA, 95% of the dry weight of an organic beer, excluding the hops, must be certified organic.

The rest of the piece: There's a Tinge of Green in the Glass.


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• The featured beer in the piece is Oxford Organic Raspberry Wheat brewed by the Clipper City Brewing Company, of Baltimore, Maryland (by whom I was employed at the time).
• UPDATE 2009: The brewery, now known as Heavy Seas, discontinued its line of organic beers in 2009.