Fifty Fifty Brewing: Forests Are in the Ingredients

nature.org: Tell us a little detail about your brewery and history.

Fifty-Fifty: FiftyFifty Brewing Co. is an, independent, and innovative brewing company located in Truckee CA. Our mission is to provide the highest quality beer-centric customer experience, while making our community, and the world, a better place.We are passionate about craft beer and good times, and were founded in 2007 on the principle of balance - whether it be hops and barley, work and play, food and beer, or any aspect of life: Find Your Balance.  We are passionate about the triple bottom line of People, Place and Profit. 

nature.org: What’s special about Truckee—why do you choose to do your brewing here?

Fifty-Fifty: The quality of life and community character of Truckee is what drew us here to begin with, and the water source here in Truckee is among the purest of water sources on the planet. Pretty ideal for beer!  Truckee is a small mountain town that loves the outdoors and the independent spirit.  The environment is our way of life, both recreationally and economically - and we all fight to preserve that together.

nature.org: Where does your brewery get the water you use to make beer?

Fifty-Fifty: Our water is sourced directly from deep wells in Martis Valley, which is filtered for decades through granite.  It’s about as pure and clean as it gets.

nature.org: Do your operations include any sustainable practices?

Fifty-Fifty: Sustainability is part of our mission, and we try to implement sustainable practices everywhere possible, from equipment design to employee conservation SOP’s as part of our culture.  All of our spent grain is donated to local farms and ranches.  We recently installed a fully automated brewhouse for efficiency of process, energy usage, material usage and water.  We utilize steam, heat and water recapturing processes, natural balancing and filtering of wastewater, and have a closed loop system to minimize the heating and cooling of water.

nature.org:  Tell us about how water figures into your production process? Why is clean water important for brewing beer?

Fifty-Fifty: Water is the primary ingredient of beer,  so it is crucial to the quality and flavor.  We had the opportunity to expand just outside of Truckee many years ago, and save on costs, but decided to wait for an opportunity in Truckee, primarily because of the water quality.  That’s how important it is to us.

nature.org: Why do healthy forests matter to brewers like you? How do you draw the connection between healthy forests and clean water and beer?

Fifty-Fifty: Here in Truckee, we literally live in a forest - so it’s a part of our daily life. Forests are such a pivotal and integral part of our environment in general, from air quality to soil quality to water quality.  All of the ingredients that go into beer rely on this ecosystem.

nature.org:  You’re partnering with us for OktoberForest to raise awareness about the connection between healthy forests and clean water. Why else should people care about forests?

Fifty-Fifty: Because without forests we’d all be dead.  Seriously though, I can’t imagine a world without forests.  Apart from the aesthetic beauty and the recreational opportunities, they provide clean air and oxygen to breath, help with erosion, filter our water, and are a critical part of the entire ecosystem.