Toxic Algae In Lake Erie Inspires Ohio Brewer's Green Beer

TOLEDO, OH — An Ohio brewery is partnering with the Ohio Environmental Council to help battle the toxic algae problem in Lake Erie. To do that, Maumee Bay Brewing Co. is crafting a beer that, well, looks like algae.

The sour double IPA dubbed "Ale'gae Bloom," a play on "ale" and "algae," gets its thick, murky color from a Chinese green tea called matcha powder and kiwi, the Toledo City Paper reported.

Employees got the idea for the strange beer last summer when they saw algae washed ashore on a creek by the pub. Brewery manager Chris Kerr said it's a good conversation starter, according to the Associated Press. As customers ask about the beer, bartenders can keep them informed about the toxic algae problem.

Lake Erie water was so unsafe in 2014 that about 400,000 people couldn't use their taps for two days.

Much of the algae in the shallowest of the Great Lakes is poisonous, according to The New York Times. The Ohio Environmental Council says in 2015, "green slime was so severe it ranked a 10.5 on a 1 – 10 scale."

Such unsafe water affects not only residents, but many businesses—including Maumee Bay Brewing—rely on the Lake Erie water to operate.

Maumee Bay Brewing had a release event on Aug. 2, serving up a limited batch of Alegae Bloom. Don't worry, though. They're brewing more to can and distribute, Brewbound reported.

The Ohio Environmental Council said toxic algae, caused by pollution, is "simply bad for business":

Undoubtedly toxic algae is an Ohio-wide problem, one fueled by pollution from raw and partially treated sewage, chemical fertilizer and animal manure. Not only do the dangerous toxins threaten people’s drinking water, they also have disastrous impacts on local and regional economies that depend on recreation and tourism. Water and beaches covered in toxic green slime is simply bad for business and Ohio’s reputation.

Brewers are quite active in lobbying to keep clean water regulations in place. The AP reports that while brewers are fighting against the repeal of an Obama-era clean water law, a group of Michigan brewers voted to back the closure of an aging pipeline between lakes Michigan and Huron which is prone to leaking.

Katie Wallace, the assistant director of sustainability for Colorado's New Belgium brewery, addressed the idea that brewers shouldn't get involved in politics. “We didn’t ask politics to get involved in beer,” she said, the AP reported. “But they did when our No. 1 ingredient is being threatened.”

Kerr, of Maumee Bay Brewing, is determined as well. “We’re going to keep doing this until the algae bloom isn’t there anymore,” he said. “The goal is to never make this beer again.”

Top photo: A glass of "Alegae Bloom" beer at Maumee Bay Brewing Co. in Toledo, Ohio, on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. The brewery is making the green, murky beer to draw attention to the algae blooms that taint Lake Erie's water. (AP Photo/John Seewer)