San Diego International Airport (SAN) in California has partnered with the East Village Brewing Company to release two beers made with purified condensate collected through the airport’s water stewardship program.
The water used in the beers is condensate that dripped from the bottom of air-conditioning units attached to jet bridges at SAN. The captured condensate is then purified using reverse osmosis and ozone disinfection and transported to the East Village Brewing Company for its use. The condensate water has a pure water profile with little mineral content, making the reclaimed water an ideal base for brewers. In addition to making beer, the water is used to clean equipment and vehicles at SAN as well as in the cooling towers that control the temperature in the terminals. In addition, all water that runs through the heat exchanger is reclaimed and used by the East Village Brewing Company for cleaning and brewing.
Hoppy Travels IPA is a West Coast IPA with flavors of grapefruit and guava, whereas Preflight Pilsner is a German-style pilsner with bready and lemon zest flavors. The beers are currently on tap at the East Village Brewing Company and will be available at San Diego International Airport’s Terminal 2 in 2023.
Aaron Justus, owner of the East Village Brewing Company, said, “Wholesome ingredients, sustainability and community are the core tenets of our brewery. This collaboration checks all three boxes. It’s great to partner again with the airport, a pillar within our community filled with passionate and fun people. The condensate water is superbly pure and ideal for brewing. Plus, it’s no secret that California is in the midst of a long-term drought, so water reclamation is a creative way to reduce our water footprint here in San Diego.”
Kimberly Becker, president and CEO of San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, commented, “We first partnered with the brewers of the East Village Brewing Company in 2019 when they brewed a beer called SAN Test Pilot using the condensate while working at another local brewery. The beer was very successful, selling out almost immediately, and since then we’ve been interested in collaborating again. The East Village Brewing Company’s focus on sustainability aligns with our efforts at the airport and we are happy to have the opportunity to showcase this reclaimed water innovatively with their help. Cheers to another successful collaboration!”