The Deep Green Champion blog series celebrates businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies in our service area who have made a public commitment to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions with 100% renewable energy.

International Beer Day is celebrated each year on the first Friday in August. The holiday was founded in California to celebrate local breweries and the craft of beer making. Sustainably minded beer lovers can celebrate this weekend by grabbing a cold one from one of these Deep Green Champions that have opted up to 100% renewable energy. Check out their websites for options to celebrate responsibly this weekend and support local sustainable businesses.

Pond Farm Brewing Company

Pond Farm Brewing Company in San Rafael is a casual, welcoming, and fun space where neighbors can meet to enjoy a beer and a bite to eat. Owners, Trevor and Stephanie Martens, are San Rafael residents who share a passion for craft beer and the outdoors. If you can’t make it to the taproom, you can find Pond Farm beers at a variety of establishments across the Bay Area.

“We’re very excited to be MCE’s first Deep Green Champ brewery! Sustainability is very important to us, and we’re always working to reduce our environmental impact as well as our operating costs, so this was a natural fit.” – Trevor Martens, Co-Owner

Elevation 66 Brewing Company

Elevation 66 in El Cerrito features handcrafted beers and serves food sourced from local farms and bakeries. The team at Elevation 66 values sustainability. In addition to running on 100% renewable energy, the company donates all spent grain from the brewing process to a local farm to feed their cattle. The bar at Elevation 66 is crafted from all reclaimed materials. Grab a beer this weekend and check it out!

Bungalow 44

Bungalow 44 restaurant in Mill Valley offers an extensive beer selection. Bungalow 44 runs on 100% renewable energy, buys all ingredients from local sources, and was the first restaurant in Marin to go zero waste. The restaurant recently partnered with Dispatch Goods to package takeout food in reusable containers and bags that can be collected and returned.

“I am so happy I switched over to clean energy. In our restaurant, we use many kilowatt-hours, so knowing that our electricity comes from renewable energy sources feels good.” – Peter Schumacher, Owner of Bungalow 44, Buckeye Roadhouse, and PLAYA Mill Valley