Sweetwater Brewery Campaigns To “Save Our Water” One Brew At a Time

ATLANTA (June 2013/mbb/) – Although water is one of the most vital resources on the planet, waterways continue to decline in quality and quantity in virtually every part of the world. Earth is home to one billion cubic kilometers of water, yet only 2.5 percent is fresh water. Of that, less than one percent is clean and accessible, leaving more than one billion people living without safe drinking water.

SweetWater Brewing Company realizes the importance of protecting these vital water sources and has once again teamed up with the Waterkeeper® Alliance – a global movement of on-the-water advocates who patrol and protect worldwide waterways – for their “Save Our Water” campaign, supporting the conservation of the Southeast’s most threatened rivers, streams and coastlines. The cause is near and dear to the brewery as clean water is also vital to the creation of their tasty brews.

"Many folks don’t realize that in addition to serving as a source for swimming, drinking and fishing in local communities, fresh waterways – Chattahoochee River in particular – account for a main ingredient making up 90 percent of our beer,” said SweetWater Founder and Big Kahuna Freddy Bensch. “Keeping our water clean is a cause that affects our entire community, so dedicating a beer and a campaign to give back to this effort was a no brainer for us.”

Kicking off July 4 and running through Labor Day, SweetWater’s “Save Our Water” campaign encourages patrons to “give of your liver to save the river” by purchasing SweetWater’s seasonal Waterkeeper® Hefeweizen ale, “Save Our Water” t-shirts, and making paper fish donations at participating restaurants, bars and retail accounts where the beer is sold across the Southeast. Proceeds from the sales will directly benefit local Waterkeepers. Additionally, patrons can visit waterkeeperbrew.org to donate online, or purchase a custom “Save Our Water” pint glass at SweetWater’s weekly brewery tours.

In 2011 the brewers at SweetWater launched Waterkeeper® Hefeweizen, a beer with a cause, in which proceeds go back to the campaign. Now, as part of their seasonal Catch & Release line-up, the unfiltered brew made its return to shelves and draft taps earlier this June.

SweetWater founded the “Save Our Water” program in 2006 with its local Chattahoochee Riverkeeper in Atlanta, and efforts grew larger as the brewery did. Since the inception of the program nearly seven years ago, SweetWater has raised more than $550,000 for the cause, with $100,000 raised in 2012 alone. Today, the “Save Our Water” campaign supports 35 Waterkeeper® members in Southeastern cities where they distribute beer including Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.

"Waterkeeper® Alliance is excited to partner with SweetWater for the ‘Save Our Water’ campaign,” said Pete Nichols, National Director of the Waterkeeper® Alliance. “It’s always refreshing to see the business community step up in the protection of clean water and we’re grateful for their support."