Sustainability at NoFo: Brewing and Distilling with Purpose
At NoFo Brew Co, sustainability is at our core – we’re committed to caring for both our community and the environment. As a craft beer and spirits brand focused on fostering an incredible environment for our community, being mindful of our environmental impact is a must. Whether it’s through waste reduction, ingredient sourcing, or energy conservation, we’re constantly looking for ways to improve our sustainability efforts. Here’s a closer look at a few of the initiatives we’ve implemented so far, with exciting plans on the horizon.
Recycling Program: Getting our Community Involved in Sustainability
One of our first significant steps in reducing our environmental footprint was setting up a comprehensive recycling program. Recycling was a critical starting point for our sustainability journey and a way to invite the community to participate alongside us.
“We knew that setting up a recycling program was essential to becoming a more sustainable business,” says Chris Rogers, our Director of Operations. He continues, “having a single-stream bin for cardboard, paper, and plastic allows both our staff and customers to participate in recycling efforts. It’s been great to see the positive response from our patrons, many of whom appreciate that they can be part of the solution when it comes to reducing waste.”
By providing clear recycling bins and encouraging participation from both our team and customers, we’ve made it easier than ever to reduce waste at NoFo. This change has allowed us to create a cleaner, greener environment in the brewery and distillery, and we’re thrilled to see our customers joining in the effort.
Across in the UK, we’ve made sure to source permanent and eco friendly badges for helping market our beers at accounts overseas. We also released a line of recycled plastic NoFo t-shirts last summer.
Spent Grain: From Brewing and Distilling to Local Livestock Feed
One of the biggest byproducts we produce is spent grain, which is left over after brewing beer and distilling spirits. Instead of letting this valuable resource go to waste, we’ve partnered with local farmers to turn it into feed for their livestock.
Jonny Bradley, our Director of Brewing and Distilling, explains the process: “Spent grain is a byproduct of brewing and distilling, left over after we create the wort. It’s mostly composed of barley husks and other grain materials, which are no longer useful for brewing but are still incredibly nutritious for livestock. Our spent grain goes to Lanier Gramling, a local farmer who picks it up every brew day and feeds it to his cows, pigs, and other animals. For the past six years, Lanier has been picking up our spent grain, and he also receives grain from other local breweries, creating a cooperative effort in Forsyth County.”
By partnering with local farmers, we’re helping reduce waste, support agriculture, and provide valuable nutrition to animals in our community.
Homemade Syrups: Elevating Cocktails and Sustainability
Sustainability is also about the ingredients we use in our cocktails. Our taproom teams in Cumming and Gainesville are both very passionate about making the best craft cocktails possible for our community, many of which involve making our own syrups in-house.
Devon Brown, our Taproom Manager for NoFo Cumming, shares, “Making our own syrups has been a game-changer for our cocktails. We can fine-tune the ingredients for maximum freshness and flavor, and we’re able to use bulk ingredients that are more cost-effective. Plus, by storing everything in reusable glass containers instead of disposable plastic, we’re reducing waste. It’s a win-win – better drinks, lower costs, and a smaller environmental footprint.”
Crafting syrups in-house not only improves the quality of our cocktails but also helps cut down on packaging waste and the carbon footprint from shipping pre-made syrups.
Looking Ahead: A Continued Commitment to Sustainability
We’re proud of the current sustainability efforts our team has worked to build, but know there’s so much more opportunity for the future. Whether it’s finding new ways to conserve energy, looking deeper into merch sustainability, reducing water usage, or other great practices, we’re committed to continuous research into how our brewery and distillery can continue to become more sustainable.
As we grow, we’ll continue to refine our practices and explore innovative solutions that reduce our environmental footprint, all while providing the same high-quality craft beer and spirits to our incredible local communities.
