Summer is here and many of us will be enjoying outdoor barbecues and celebrations. When you’re buying beverages for the adults, Do Your Part and pick a better brew. I’m running down my list of ‘Top 5 Sustainable Brews’ to showcase some of my favorite selections that are all produced by eco-friendly breweries.

1) New Belgium Brewery

You might be familiar with New Belgium’s satisfying ales such as their Fat Tire brand, but did you know sustainability has been a core belief of theirs since the beginning? The folks at New Belgium have an on-site wastewater treatment facility, power their the plant and website with wind power, and promote brown glass recycling programs. And get this – every employee is even given a bike so they don’t have to drive to work. New Belgium Brewery is located in Fort Collins, CO.

2) Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

The Sierra Nevada Brewing Company brews award-winning beers and they are also racking up awards for what they do behind the scenes. Their green efforts include on-site creation of most of their own electrical energy with the use of solar panels and fuel cells. They also turn the vegetable oil used in their restaurant into bio-diesel that powers their fleet of cars and trucks.  The brewery is located in Chico, CA.

3) Pisgah Brewing Company

The Pisgah Brewing Company, located in Black Mountain, North Carolina is rightfully proud of being the only Southeastern brewery to be certified organic for each one of their brews. No, that doesn’t mean they just have one select organic offering – all of their beers are organic. Period.

4) Magic Hat Brewing Company

There’s a lot more to Magic Hat than just flavorful beer. They brew their beer with the planet in mind. In fact, Magic Hat uses a unique and patented method to turn the waste from hops, barley, and yeast used in the brewing process into electricity that powers their plant. The brewery located in Burlington, VT also treats its own wastewater.

5) Brooklyn Brewery

The Brooklyn Brewery works hard to go easy on the planet. In fact, the company was the first in NYC to use 100% wind-generated electricity. Not only that, the spent grain is used to feed chicken, pigs, and is also turned into compost. Plus, Brooklyn Brewery’s warehouse has solar panels that generate enough electricity to power a third of what it uses. The brewery is located in – where else? – Brooklyn, NY.