NEWS

Abita’s new wastewater treatment plant is environmentally friendly in many ways. The plant dramatically reduces Abita’s need for fossil fuels. Less electricity is used in treating the wastewater and the process creates bio-gas Abita can use in place of carbon-based natural gas. The new treatment plant results in an 85% reduction of load on the local Abita Springs sewerage system. The new process also reduces the amount of solid waste sent to local landfills.

“At the Abita Brewing Company, we work to make great beer every day,” said David Blossman, President of Abita Beer. “We also work to make Abita Springs, Louisiana and the world around us a better place to live by being a good neighbor,” continued Blossman.  “Our new wastewater treatment plant is part of our overall environmental strategy,” said Blossman. “We’re proud to be a good neighbor…a good neighbor who makes great Abita Beer.”

Protecting the Source of Abita Beer

Water is the primary ingredient in every Abita Beer. Abita Brewing Company uses clean,pure water drawn from their own natural artesian well to make their great tasting beer. For eons, this deep underground resource has stored and protected the purest water on the planet. The water of melted glaciers and ancient rains remains untouched by surface pollutants and other man-made contamination. Unlike most other brewers who must first treat the water they draw from municipal taps, Abita’s pristine well water requires no treatment. It is the perfect water for brewing beer. Conserving energy and water, reusing by-products and waste, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and using recycled materials are some of the ways the Abita Brewing Company is working to keep Louisiana green and clean.

Abita was the first brewery in North America to install the energy efficient Merlin Brewhouse. The Merlin system reduces boiling time and carbon dioxide emissions and actually improves the brewing process. This new technology uses 70% less energy than traditional brewing methods. A vapor condenser also captures and reuses steam from the process.

Conserving Energy:  Cars, Trucks, Cardboard & Cows

Every six-pack of Abita Beer is wrapped in an environmentally friendly way. Abita Beer six-pack wraps are designed to hold on to the bottles while using 50% less paper and glue than ordinary carriers…and the paper used is made with recycled materials.

The glass bottles used by Abita Beer are endlessly recyclable and use less glass than
traditional long-neck beer bottles.  The Abita Brewing sales force drives gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles.  Every 18-wheeler in the Abita delivery fleet is equipped with an energy saving Auxillary Power Unit (APU) that takes over engine operation when a truck is parked.  The APUs decrease engine emissions and time spent idling.  Even the spent grain and hops from the brewing process don’t go to waste. Local farmers use the end products of beer making as feed for their cattle.

Abita Beer Is Louisiana True

The Abita Brewing Company was founded in Abita Springs, Louisiana in 1986 and is the oldest and largest craft brewer in the southeast. Abita is the 30th largest commercial brewer by production volume in the nation and the 17th largest craft brewer in the United States. Sales for the company should exceed 85,000 barrels and $16.5 million this year.

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