Green beer

As long as we’re talking about beer (and when are we not?), we’ve got a new one for you to try: Carver Brewing Co.’s Regen Ale.

This latest offering from Durango’s OG brewery is billed as a “first-of-its-kind, West Slope IPA” brewed with regional, regenerative ingredients. (Thus the name, Regen. Get it? Bonus points for the double pun.) Malt for the beer comes from Proximity Malt, in Monte Vista, and hops from Billy Goat Hop Farm, in Montrose. The companies grow the crops using climate-smart practices like no-till farming and cover cropping, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions, improves soil health and conserves water. Plus, buying from companies nearby also reduces emissions from transportation while helping to support the state’s agriculture.

These efforts have not gone unrecognized. At its Sept. 26 annual awards ceremony, the Colorado Green Business Network gave Carvers an Innovation Spotlight Award for the beer. (We are guessing a few of the beers also had to be sampled by the award committee, in the name of research, of course.)

First brewed in December 2024 and made possible through a grant from Visit Durango, Regen is now on tap at Carver Brewing.

“This journey began at the 2024 Craft Brewers Conference, where we discovered Regen Malt, produced from Colorado-grown grain using regenerative farming practices,” the brewpub wrote on its Instagram page. “Paired with incredible hops from Billy Goat Hop Farm in Montrose, we’ve created a beer that’s bold in flavor and big on sustainability.

We’ll drink to that.