Remember: Patriotism (in any country) can be Peace-loving, Celebratory and Positive. Buy Local, Drink the Mindfully-produced Good Stuff!

More info (stolen from our Super Bowl Shopping List blog) (which has solid ideas on food, too):

When selecting a beer, we suggest that you buy American, and that you try buying local.

Avoid Budweiser—a subsidiary of AB-InBev, a Belgium Company that also produces Stella Artois. That means Bud Light, Rolling Rock, and Bacardi Malt Beverage  profits leave the USA and go straight to Europe.

Budweiser also uses GMO rice. They grow the rice in the USA but will ship it around the world, like to their breweries in China, to create a flavorless beer. (The “Big Three” makes most of their beers with rice because of a WWII wheat ration. The practice stayed and was enhanced based on the low cost of rice.)

Photo Courtesy of Simon Doggett

Also try to avoid the other two in the “Big Three”. Miller is owned by SABMiller (South African Breweries has a headquarters in London). They have partnership with Molson Coors Brewing Company, which partially Canadian. Again, this means that when you buy a Silver Bullet, the profits leave the United States, and you are consuming generically tampered rice. Oh, and they don’t taste very good.

I would highly suggest reaching for a Sam Adams or a Fat Tire. When Budweiser sold out America, Sam Adams and the Boston Beer Company became our largest American owned brewer. The chairman, Jim Koch, is a fifth generation, American brewer. They also started a Microloan fund to assist small businesses. By doing this, Sam Adams becomes a beer that gives back.

Fat Tire (from New Belgium) was originally started as a home brewing passion that the owner, Jeff Lebesch, took to the streets. Here are some really great videos on Fat Tire. The company has teamed up with Outside Magazine in Fort Collins, Co to create a Facebook campaign to help the Humane Society.

You can also try to find a local brewery in your area. Typically, you can take a private tour of that brewery and actually get to meet the people who make your frothy beverage. If you would like to know more about Green beers, click here. For vegan options look here at the amazing Barnivore (they also have liquor and wine suggestions!). (Also, for those of you on a diet, Light Beer doesn’t mean Fat-Free. Light usually means that there is less alcohol—more water—than regular beer. The caloric content may not actually change.)

Personally, I am going to be drinking Avery, which is made in Boulder. I know that my beer will have low food miles, and that it will support non-corporate liquor stores.

When you purchase local or American owned breweries, you can feel good about getting schnockered because you are supporting a more sustainable economic practice.

Obviously, avoid drinking and driving. But don’t avoid drinking and cheering.

~ Joe Yeoman

“Budweiser, Coors, and Miller are not brewed by American owned companies. Support your local craft brewery this 4th of July weekend.“

Note: Coors is still (less than) “half American.” It’s also (more than) half water.

Bonus: “Infographic – Cars and Trucks that are Built in the United States.”

~

One of our favorite craft breweries that is doing well and doing good, both: