Last weekend I went with Ben Metcalfe to the Maker Fair at the San Mateo Fairgrounds. The best way I’ve heard this fair described is, “Burning Man meets the tech world.” The Maker Fair showcases Arts, Crafts, Engineering, Food, Music, Science and Technology. Above is a video of the two guys you’ve seen a million times on YouTube dropping Mentos into Diet Coke.
Here is a short list of some of the other awesome things I saw:
Mouse Trap, the old game, but blown up on a huge scale with bowling balls instead of marbles.
A machine that etches in wood and metal at ridiculous speeds. Basically a printer except it’s carving with a laser.
It sure was a green month. A lot of green conversations, videos, articles, etc.
We even saved some pandas, and remade some ice in the poles, that was super!
But we missed a few things, and for that I am sad, but will dedicate blog space to them in the future. Here is a quick list of stuff that should have made the blog, that you should check out now, and will make the WhitScott.com in the future.
This book changed my life, my habits, my outlook on the world, and how I consume in it. I can’t recommend a better book for any of you to read. I’d let you borrow my copy, but someone has it.
Here you can find an interview with the author, Tim Flannery, on NPR.
2 Interviews
Andy Cooper from Humboldt about his company Footprint Recycling.
Cooper makes and sells diesel. He’s completely passionate about it, and I can’t wait to get an interview of him on my site.
Seth Bauer is Editorial Director of The Green Guide for the National Geographic Society. I met him in New Orleans at a sustainable branding conference, and am hoping to get him to talk a little bit about National Geographic’s The Green Guide.
I have been introduced to, or already know, a ton of people doing some really inspiring work in the green industry. To them I send out a special thank you: I wish you could all have been on the blog.
It’s been a fun Green Month. Stay warm (from global warming), stay green, stay healthy, consume less, stop dumping your gas in the ocean, and save a penguin.
Happy Earth Day Earth!
Today I am making several commitments to save the earth.
I’m giving up Whaling! It’ll be tough, but I’ve heard it’s bad.
I will shut down 2 of my coal plants. Completely.
No more Oil. For today, unless it gets cold, or I need to go somewhere.
I refuse to touch plastic, let alone use it.
I will save the life of 3 seals.
I will breathe less, thus emitting less Carbon.
What will you do?
But seriously, I feel like I need to plant a tree or something. It’s Earth Day! On Mother’s Day we make our moms cards and give them big hugs. On Father’s Day we BBQ (bad for the ozone) and give each other man-hugs, but for Earth Day, EARTH DAY what do we do?
I met Jim Woods, Brewer of MateVeza Beer about six months ago at Green Drinks. He had brought a keg of his beer to this particular bar and shared a glass with David Anderson and me. We talked about his beer, while sipping away, and let me tell you, both the story and the beer are awesome. I asked Jim to retell his story about how he got started and what his yerba mate beer is all about.
Jim Woods: Yerba Mate Beer
Officially I started brewing the day I turned 21… so I guess that would mean that I “started” brewing while at UCSD.
I stumbled upon the idea of MateVeza a few years ago - I was nursing a pale ale betwixt sips of yerba mate (a cousin of mine introduced me to this wonderful beverage when I was in college) and noticed the way the flavor of the mate and the cascade hops complimented each other; the earthy, herbal, grassy notes of yerba mate paired quite well with the crisp, citrusy flavor of the cascade hops. I later realized that the effects might be another selling point in light of a growing trend of caffeinated alcoholic beverages.
A home brewer for years, I set out to brew a yerba mate pale ale. After experimenting with different recipes, methods, and quantities, I brought a formula and label artwork to Butte Creek Brewing Company in Chico, California because I was a big fan of their beers and their pioneering in brewing organic. We structured a joint venture and brewed the first batch in November of 2006.
Mateveza is brewed with EcoTeas organic yerba mate from a family farm in North Eastern Argentina. The coarsely chopped yerba mate leaves are added during the mash. The yerba mate provides a refreshing herbal finish and a natural source of caffeine equal to about a half cup of coffee per beer.
I decided to brew MateVeza organic because I was committed to using the very best ingredients and having a environmentally responsible product.
MateVeza is brewed with 95% organic ingredients (everything but hops). The USDA has placed hops on their exempt list due to the commercial unavailability. This means that brewers can label beer with the organic seal even if the hops are not organic. Here’s an article from the LA Times if you’re interested in the details.
Keep in mind that organic hops are extremely difficult to source (especially with the current hop shortage). There aren’t any farmers in the US who produce organic hops and the farmers in New Zealand have most of their crop committed for the next few years. Hopefully things will change and organic hops will become available. We will continue to look for a source.
Business has gone really well. Getting approval at Whole Foods and BevMo has been great. And we have expanded our distribution to CA, OR, and WA. We haven’t had much of a budget for advertising or sales support (it’s still a one-man team), so the main challenge is getting the word out and educating people about the product.
We’ve gotten a lot of good press (Mateveza press), which has been awesome. A part of me was worried about how the craft beer community would respond to a caffeinated beer, but they have really embraced it. Most really appreciate the fact that the yerba mate contributes positively to the flavor profile of the beer. The mate buzz is just a bonus (but for some a huge selling point).
I’m currently working on some new packaging and making a big push in the markets we’re currently in. So stay tuned…
