The San Diego chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of oceans, waves and beaches, has long been connected to the local beer community.
For more than a decade Surfrider has provided volunteers for Stone Brewing’s anniversary festival, the twenty-first of which is coming up in August. 100% of the ticket proceeds for that event go to charity, and Surfrider SD is one of the beneficiaries.
Surfrider also collaborates with Coronado Brewing on CoastWise Session IPA, while Karl Strauss hosts their quarter meetings at the Pacific Beach location.
Now, even international breweries are getting involved. Costa Rica’s Cerveza Imperial is partnering with Surfrider for a beach clean-up tomorrow, June 10, from 3 – 4:30 p.m. at the Imperial Beach Pier. Additionally, the brewery is helping fund a part-time bilingual policy manager for Surfrider who will work on the No Border Sewage Program and the Tijuana River Valley Recovery Strategy.
Cerveza Imperial touts itself as the world’s “first and only water positive beer” backed by international guidelines, reviews and verification. Here’s how they do the math:
Measure. Analyze and measure the entire production water footprint including all suppliers and water used in the distribution process.- Reduce. Once a benchmark is established, the operation team develops processes that reduce water usage in the brewing, fermenting and packaging process, achieving an average 44 percent reduction in water usage over the last nine years while increasing production 70 percent.
- Compensation. The third step is “offsetting” water being used in the production process and supply chain by “returning” water to the eco-system for water use. Cerveza Imperial protects more than 600 hectares (1,482 acres) of the Costa Rican tropical forest that are critical in trapping rainwater, recharging the natural water basins and protecting the quality of the water by reducing runoff.
- Create Positive Value. Cerveza Imperial partners with local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to improve access to fresh water, conserve fresh water, clean fresh water, and sustain fresh water.
That fourth point is where Surfrider San Diego comes in. In addition to Saturday’s event, stay tuned for Cervera Imperial’s Goat Canyon clean-up event during Tijuana River Action Month held in both September and October.