With St. Patrick’s Day as its primary holiday, March could be called Beer Month. Naturally, we wanted to find you some truly green beer! We took this assignment very seriously, scouring pubs everywhere, searching for an organic brew and eco-cool atmosphere. After many, many pints (hey, all in the name of research just for you!), we found a perfect place to celebrate St. Paddy’s in environmental style. Toronto’s Mill Street Brew Pub is the most eco-conscious pub we’ve seen, from the beer to the building. Let’s get right to the beer. The Original Organic Lager is beloved for its crisp taste. It’s a bonus that the raw materials and brewing process are pesticide-and herbicide-free and different from other beer because all brewing processes ensure against chemical contamination. Though it’s not made from all-local ingredients, Mill Street took care sourcing the best organic ingredients from around the world and does source locally whenever possible. Due to the care required to brew organically, the Original Organic Lager takes six weeks to produce compared to two-to-three weeks for conventional beers. And you can feel good knowing the beer adheres to the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program and meets all Canadian Organic Program standards. There are 11 other kinds of Mill Street brews, all handcrafted onsite. They are not certified organic, but they definitely are sustainable suds. Made with local ingredients, energy isn’t sucked-up by transportation requirements. Small batches of beer and the brilliant idea of serving sample sizes reduce waste. Yes, all you commitment-phobes: you can sip samples rather than test entire bottles! Okay, we raved about the beer, but the building got us really excited. It’s a neat re-use of urban space. Located in Toronto’s Distillery District, it’s in a cluster of industrial buildings once famous for its beer. Built in the 1870’s, the building Mill Street now houses was part of Gooderham & Worts Distillery complex until the area’s decline. Then in the 00’s, developers revisited the area, smitten with its Victorian architecture. There are now a bunch of arts-oriented businesses, but Mill street is especially cool in its simple re-use concept. See, it used to be a brewery, so all requirements were in place. By re-using the building for its original purpose, the developers surely saved money, time, and energy with minimal retrofits. It may not be a completely green building, but it began with the right steps. Mill Street is a place where you can really drink responsibly. Visit www.millstreetbrewpub.ca for more information and be sure to check it out next time you’re in Toronto. And if you have no plans to visit the Big Smoke anytime soon, look for an organic brewery near you! Photos: Courtesy Mill Street Brew Pub.

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Mill Street Brew Pub