At Baxter, we recognize the connection between brewing high quality beer and protecting our watershed. This is why Baxter Brewing has recently joined the Maine Brewshed Alliance, a coalition of Breweries and the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) committed to protecting our waterways. The Maine Brewshed Alliance was formed to educate consumers about the importance of protecting our waters and taking action to support clean water policies. As a member of the Alliance, we pledge to protect the watersheds of Maine critical to our environment and the continued success of Maine’s craft breweries.
Every step of the brewing process requires water, even long before that water enters our brewery…many of the constituent components of beer like malts and hops require water to be grown. Other additives, like fresh Maine blueberries or locally foraged spruce-tips, also require clean water for survival. At the end of it all, our beer is composed of 90-95% water, and the quality of that water matters. Maine’s clean water is an important reason the state is home to such a variety of great beer. Maintaining our water sources is a high priority. We are fortunate to receive our water from a pristine source, Lake Auburn, the water source for the greater Lewiston-Auburn area. About two-thirds of Lake Auburn’s water flows from the Androscoggin River watershed while the remainder comes from precipitation in the form of rain on the surface, spring and groundwater, and surface flow from small streams. Additionally, Lake Auburn is one of ten water utilities in Maine to receive a waiver from filtration by the EPA due to its high water quality. In order to maintain this exemption, we must ensure the water entering the lake is pathogen and pollutant free.
Baxter is partnering with the Lake Auburn Watershed Protection Commission and NRCM to host a “Watershed, Brewshed and Beers” event at the Baxter Pub on July 31, 2019. The Lake Auburn Watershed Protection Commission is committed to ensuring the drinking water from Lake Auburn follows the standards set by the EPA and the Maine Drinking Water Program. The Brewshed event will feature Lake Auburn Watershed and Maine’s water quality protection efforts and have raffles, prizes and, of course, beer! It will provide a great opportunity to get involved with NRCM or Lake Auburn Watershed Protection Commission and take a stand to protect our waters.