Oregon has built a national reputation around its two first loves: craft beer and the environment.

In 2016 I collaborated with a member of Oregon Environmental Council’s Emerging Leaders Board on a special project to highlight and encourage innovations in sustainable brewing. We enlisted Hopworks and Migration Brewing Company to collaborate on a ‘carbon-conscious’ beer, a beer brewed with its carbon footprint in mind.

Together, we devised a plan to use only local, sustainably-sourced ingredients to brew a fresh-hop IPA. The ambitious plan event involved the pick-up and delivery of 200 pounds of fresh hops via bicycle. Darkness, a rainstorm, and a lack of safe bike lanes foiled, our efforts, but the experience gave us the name for our beer: Best of Intentions.

In addition to managing the project, I assisted in writing promotional copy and in designing the beer label. We held a successful release party for the beer that brought dozens of community members together in a conversation about how our practices as businesses and as consumers can drive change towards a more climate-conscious Oregon.

The video above was shot and edited by the amazing people at Hopstories.