Taste the effects of climate change in this beer called ‘Torched Earth’
This brew was intentionally made to taste awful as a reminder what kind of beer is waiting for us in the future if climate change continues to go unchecked.
Climate change has already inflicted serious impacts around the world like extreme flooding, drought, glaciers shrinking faster than we think, intense heat waves, and more.
As the environment takes the beating from the effects of climate change—while global leaders have pushed aside the issue for many years and some groups brand it as a hoax—one needs to realize that this environmental challenge is threatening everything we love and enjoy, including the world’s most popular alcoholic beverage, beer.
New Belgium Brewing company in Colorado illustrated what the future of beer will look like through its “Fat Tire Torched Earth Ale,” a new brew that uses less than ideal ingredients that would be available in the “climate-ravaged future.”
To send a powerful message through its “awful-tasting” new brew, the company used smoke-tainted water, drought-resistant grains, shelf-stable extracts and dandelion weeds. “While it’s technically beer, it’s not great,” according to the company.
The Torched Earth Ale, whose label bears an apocalyptic artwork, was designed “to mimic the impact of wildfires will have on water supply” and was described as a “dark starchy liquid with smoky aromatics that is not likely to win any awards, but does highlight the stakes of climate change for beer drinkers everywhere.”
Through the release of the new beer, the company aims to inspire 70% of Fortune 500 companies that reportedly do not have a real climate plan to make one now before it’s too late.
It is sold at $39.99 (about P2,000) for two four-packs of 16 oz. cans. All profits from the sale of the beer will benefit the Protect Our Winters, a non-profit organization.
How is beer being affected by climate change exactly? One of the main ingredients making beer is malted barley, which is sensitive to both extreme heat and drought. So, if the effects of climate change persist, supplies may run low and prices would likely to hike up globally. Its taste may not be the same as well, as demonstrated in Torched Earth.
And it’s not just beer that is being pummeled by climate change. According to the EcoWatch, aside from beer, among the food items whose future looks bleak with the catastrophic threats of climate change include coffee, chocolate, avocado and wine.