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Organic Beer Is Having A Moment — Here Are The Brews You Should Try

Over the past decade, the word “organic” has become the single most powerful identifier in the entire food and beverage universe. While words like “natural” and “healthy” are murky and therefore susceptible to greenwashing, “organic” actually comes with USDA certification. Meaning that if you see it on a label, you know that the ingredients used were grown without chemically/artificially derived pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers (there’s a whole host of other standards, too).

While the organic food movement is more than a decade old (much older in certain parts of the country), the drinks sector is just getting in on the movement. Right now, organic beer and spirits are both booming — with more entries popping up on grocery store shelves and the big brands racing to create organic beverage production facilities around the nation.

Whether you’re seeking out organic beer because you want to avoid sipping weed killer or simply because you’re eager to explore this expanding corner of the beverage universe, we’ve got you covered. Check out our 11 favorite organic brews below.

Allagash Crosspath

Allagash

ABV: 5.5

Average Price: $12.99 for a 4-pack

The Beer:

Allagash collaborated with GrandyOats to brew this organic Belgian-style ale. It was made using organic oats, buckwheat, base malt, hops, and GrandyOats organic granola.

Tasting Notes:

This Belgian-style ale has a great banana-like yeast flavor that reminds us of a good Saison. It’s effervescent, sweet, and has a nice hoppy, floral backbone.

Bottom Line:

The folks at Allagash know beer. If they’re looking for a unique take on the organic beer, fans of the Maine brewery should grab a few cans of this offering.

Peak Organic Super Fresh

Peak Organic

ABV: 7.6

Average Price: $12.99 for a 4-pack

The Beer:

Few breweries make organic beers better than Peak Organic. One of the brand’s best brews is Super Fresh. This dry-hopped pilsner lives up to its name with fresh, thirst-quenching, ripe citrus flavors.

Tasting Notes:

This beer is big, bold, and filled with flavor. What begins as a light, refreshing pilsner is ramped up with the addition of citrus and piney dry hops. It’s juicy, sweet, and filled with tropical fruit notes.

Bottom Line:

Peak Organic has been making organic beers for years and you honestly can’t go wrong with anything they put out. If you want a beer bursting with fresh, citrus flavor, this is a winner.

Dupont Foret Organic Saison

Saison Dupont

ABV: 7.5

Average Price: $12.89 for a 750ml bottle

The Beer:

Belgian beer fans know all about Saison Dupont. If you’re looking for an organic alternative, we suggest Dupont Foret Organic Saison. This 100% certified organic beer is made using hops, barley, and filtered well water before being bottle conditioned.

Tasting Notes:

When it comes to Belgian Saisons, this offering from Dupont should be at the top of the list. It’s fresh, bright, dry, and filled with notes of yeast, cloves, and bananas, with just a hint of peppery spice.

Bottom Line:

If you’re looking for a change of pace from your usual organic IPAs and pale ales, grab a bottle of this exceptional offering from Dupont.

Fremont Cowiche Canyon

Fremont

ABV: 6

Average Price: $12.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

In the beer community, Fremont is a big name. It’s known for its high-quality brews and Cowiche Canyon is no exception. This IPA was brewed with organic malts and Citra and Simcoe hops, giving it a nice malt backbone with a zesty, floral finish.

Tasting Notes:

This well-balanced beer starts with a nice, rich, malt presence that is tempered with fresh, citrusy, resinous, floral hops. It’s vibrant, sweet, and highly crushable.

Bottom Line:

Proving that there’s much more to Fremont than barrel-aged beers, Cowiche Canyon is bright, flavorful, and filled with citrus and tropical fruit flavors.

Cantillon Gueuze

Cantillon

ABV: 5.5

Average Price: $21.99 for a 12-ounce bottle

The Beer:

This highly coveted beer is a blend of different aged lambics. These lambics range in ages from one to three years. They’re aged in oak casks before being blended together to make Cantillon Gueuze.

Tasting Notes:

This isn’t a beer for everyone. It takes an advanced palate to embrace the dry, subtle fresh berry, and acidic flavors that are featured here. The taste also ends with a nice kick of wood.

Bottom Line:

Buy more than one bottle of Cantillon Gueuze. Crack one open and enjoy it now and put the other one in your cellar for extra bottle conditioning.

Patagonia Long Root

Patagonia/Hopworks

ABV: 5.5

Average Price: $4.99 for a 16-ounce can

The Beer:

Anyone who spends time hiking or camping knows all about outdoor brand Patagonia. You might not know the company has an offshoot called Patagonia Provisions. It collaborated with Hopworks to create Long Root Ale made with organic barley, yeast, and hops. It also contains kernza grain (widely known as intermediate wheatgrass).

Tasting Notes:

This complex, fresh, thirst-quenching brew is full of piney, resinous hop notes, along with grapefruit, tangerine, and lime flavors. It all ends in a final kick of lemon and rye-reminiscent spice, thanks to the Kernza.

Bottom Line:

What better way to show your love for nature and the outdoors than to drink a beer brewed by one of the most well-known outdoor brands in the world? If you’re a Patagonia lover, this is a must-try.

Hill Farmstead Flora

Hill Farmstead

ABV: 5

Average Price: $33

The Beer:

This is the barrel-aged version of Hill Farmstead’s popular Florence. Made with Farmstead ale yeast, organic malted barley, and organic Vermont wheat. During production, this wheat ale is matured with the brewery’s proprietary microflora.

Tasting Notes:

This unique, barrel-aged wheat ale begins with flavors reminiscent of sparkling white wine but moves into notes of citrus zest, oak, sweet vanilla, and a nice, crisp, tart finish.

Bottom Line:

Good luck finding a bottle of this offering. If you do, you’ll likely have to pay a crazy amount of money. Your best bet to get this or one of the brewery’s other offerings is to take a trip to Vermont for a post-pandemic visit.

Pinkus Organic Ur-Pilsner

Pinkus

ABV: 5

Average Price: $3.99 for a 16-ounce bottle

The Beer:

This is a German beer with USDA certification. Made in the 19th-century style, Pinkus Organic Ur-Pilsner is made using only organic hops and malts. It’s a simple production process in the traditional manner.

Tasting Notes:

This light, pale pilsner is crisp, dry, and extremely well-balanced. It’s full of fresh hops and rich malts. A highly drinkable, smooth, refreshing pilsner.

Bottom Line:

When you taste the clean, crisp flavor of Pinkus Organic Ur-Pilsner, you won’t want to go back to your mass-produced, chemically enhanced pilsners and lagers.

Samuel Smith’s Organic Chocolate Stout

Samuel Smith

ABV: 5

Average Price: $10.99 for a 4-pack

The Beer:

Getting away from the lighter beers on this list, this stout is perfect for the winter months. This organic chocolate stout is made with water from an ancient well, organic malted barley, cane sugar, yeast, hops, coca extract, and carbon dioxide.

Tasting Notes:

This classic, chocolate-filled stout begins with hints of creamy milk chocolate, roasted malts, bitter dark chocolate, and a subtle kick of sweet vanilla. Other flavors prevalent include buttery caramel and toasted marshmallows.

Bottom Line:

This is the perfect, rich, dessert-like organic warmer to enjoy during the chilly winter months. Pair it with some vanilla ice cream and you have the makings of a world-class ice cream float.

Eel River Organic IPA

Eel River

ABV: 7.2

Average Price: $10.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Eel River was America’s first-ever certified organic brewery. Its award-winning Organic IPA is made with organic malted barley and organic hops sourced from the Pacific Northwest.

Tasting Notes:

This IPA is a great combination of sweet and bitter. It starts with a nice, caramel malt flavor that melds into clean, crisp citrus, and piney hops.

Bottom Line:

This pick is light, refreshing, and perfect for people who usually turn away from overly bitter IPAs.

EDITOR’S PICK: Allagash Fine Acre Golden Ale

Allagash

ABV: 5.5

Average Price: $10.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Fine Acre is Allagash’s first year-round organic brew. It also leans heavily on Maine-grown ingredients — spelt, oats, and Cascade hops — and follows the brand’s long-term commitment to local sourcing practices.

Tasting Notes:

This is a session beer in the truest sense — light flavors with a little maltiness upfront and the slightest dry-ish finish thanks to the hops. On the palate, you get a tiny bit of orange-sweet citrus, but most of all this just tastes like beer.

That’s actually a good thing — very clarified and classic “beer flavors” with organic ingredients and sustainable practices.

Bottom Line:

If you like classic Bud or Miller and want better sourcing and practicing, this is your beer.