This Craft Beer Is Brewed From Old Shower & Sink Water

The wastewater from a 40-story apartment complex in San Francisco is not taking the usual route down the drain. Instead, it’s being redirected into the hands of a beer manufacturer to be turned into a good ol’ pint.
 
Eco-friendly beverages are having a moment, and water recycling company Epic Cleantec and beermakers Devil’s Canyon Brewing Company are taking a squeaky-clean approach to the matter by using the shower, sink, and laundry water to mix into the brewing process.
 
The idea of pouring in some old, dirty water someone used to scrub their pots and pans with or their body might put one off from trying the drink. Still, in an interview with The Guardian, Aaron Tartakovsky, Epic Cleantec’s co-founder, assured that the firm puts the fluids through rigorous testing processes before being used. He even noted that because of that, it might even be safer to drink than some other non-shower-water beers.
 
Tartakovsky mentioned that in many other brewing companies, the water used is whatever comes out of the tap at their facilities, and no testing is done. In this case, Epic Cleantec oversees the treatment process to ensure that brewers are given a “blank canvas” to work with once it has been cleaned.
 
Cleanliness aside, you might be wondering how it tastes. Matthew Canton, who wrote up the report for The Guardian, tasted the drink and noted that it was “pleasant,” “crisp,” and “drinkable.” Most importantly, Canton states you can’t tell if it was used in a shower or laundry.
 
“We wanted to do something fun that was going to be an engaging tool to talk to people, to get them excited, but also that showcased the untapped potential of water reuse,” explained Tartakovsky.
 
The future of eco-beers is taking a myriad of routes. Previously, other companies experimented with actual urine, and condensation from airport air conditioners. 
 
 
 
[via The Guardian and Futurism, images via various sources]