Hopworks Urban Brewery Becomes the World’s First Salmon-Safe Certified Brewery Site

“Hopworks has inspired the Salmon-Safe hops movement by seeking certified hops in beers like the IPX series. Now they take a powerful next step by becoming the first Salmon-Safe certified brewery site,” said Dan Kent, Salmon-Safe Co-Founder and Executive Director. “Joining with Hopworks means that we are working with a national environmental leader in craft beer. We anticipate that breweries across the West Coast will follow their lead in transforming how brewing sites and operations impact local watersheds.”

Today we announced our certification as the world’s first Salmon-Safe Certified brewing campus. Salmon-Safe is a non-profit organization that links land management practices with the protection of agricultural and urban watersheds through whole-site inspections with rigorous peer-revised standards. The site of our brewery and original brewpub was certified through Salmon-Safe’s Urban Development Certification Program.

Since 2004, Salmon-Safe certified urban projects include the Nike World Headquarters campus, Portland State University, Oregon Museum of Science & Industry (OMSI) and others. Salmon-Safe also works with more than 450 West Coast farms and vineyards to certify for clean water and habitat restoration. They seek to have the same impact in the craft beer sector.

The certification is based on an assessment that considers the overall development and maintenance practices of stormwater management, water use management, chemical and pesticide reduction, water quality protection, and enhancement of urban ecological function. It includes an annual review to ensure the site reaches the goal of treating one-hundred percent of stormwater on site over five years, up from the current twenty-five percent. Our stormwater management includes a retention pond and pervious pavers in the upper parking lot. In addition to site factors that are the focus of Salmon-Safe assessment, our restaurant utilizes low-flow faucets kitchen equipment, and waterless urinals. The brewery minimizes intensity through water-saving equipment including a heat exchange unit, and a recently installed Clean In Place Skid and Centrifuge.

“Hopworks has long recognized the relationship between clean and abundant water and great beer,” said Hopworks Brewmaster and Founder, Christian Ettinger. “Using Salmon-Safe hops was a first step. Now we that we have received our Salmon-Safe Site Certification we can ensure that all water leaving our campus is fit for the fish and the people of the Pacific Northwest. Cheers to that!”