Water footprinting is calculating the total amount of water (usually freshwater) used to produce the goods and services consumed by an individual or company.  Given that water flows throughout the entire brewing process, is the main ingredient in beer and is necessary to grow many of the ingredients needed to brew beer, we need to have a complete understanding of our use and its impact on local watersheds.  

Through the Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER), we worked with beverage industry partners to create an industry approach for water footprinting. The water footprint maps usage and related risks associated with water from the beginning of our supply chain (where 90% of water is used) to the end of our distribution chain. We expect to begin assembling a water footprint of our agricultrual chain in 2011 to help us identify opportunities to improve water efficiency and further demonstrate our commitment to water stewardship. For more information visit http://bieroundtable.com/water-footprinting.html.