Our Contributions

At Andina Brewing Company we care… We care about our family, our company, our heritage, we care about our community! We accept the responsibility to contribute in creating a world where each of us, our society, and our planet can thrive

TO OUR ENVIRONMENT

As part of our commitment to reduce our environmental footprint we are implementing groundbreaking initiatives for resource efficiency, conservation and materials recapture within the brewing process.

As a whole, making beer is an extremely thermal intensive industry. Large amounts of energy are needed for the “mashing,” where malted barley is mixed with high-temperature water and again to boil the resulting liquid extracted (wort). A lot of this heated water is send down the drain during the brewing process. So why not recycle this thermal energy?

Andina will be the first brewery in the world to implement The Piranha, a self-contained heat pump that extracts thermal energy from wastewater. The technology, created by International Wastewater Systems, is simple. The hot water that is discarded during the brewing process maintains a fairly constant temperature (approximately 60°F). With the heat recovery system, a heat pump is used to capture about 40% to 70% of the warmth of wastewater and transfer it to the clean water stream. Basically it takes a lot less energy to heat 60°F water to get the needed temperatures than to heat cold water.  It all operates as a closed-loop system, meaning that the dirty water never touches the clean water. The system offers enormous potential for more productive use of energy.

Another clear example of our efforts to be environmentally responsible is the implementation of an ozone sanitation system. This method allows us to save energy and most importantly, our precious water.

At Andina Brewing Company we endeavour to source our local and foreign ingredients responsibly, making it a point to partner with certified sustainable suppliers that meet our environmental guidelines. We deal with suppliers that provide us with as much organic and fairly traded products as possible and we are compliant with the Ocean Wise Program, offering the finest seafood caught with ocean-friendly, sustainable & responsible practices.

To Our Community

Andina is part of a wonderful and vibrant neighbourhood and city, known for its diverse and multicultural community. As an East Vancouver brewery, we are part of an industry that is being used as a platform for the improvement of its people’s lives. We see ourselves as neighbours, not just as a business looking for profit, but also as a place to connect and help others.

We are proud members of the East Van Brewers Group and partners with The East Village initiative, responsible for a good number of improvement projects and marketing efforts to help get more people interested in the dynamic quality of our beautiful neighbourhood. Additionally, we support our very own community making every effort to purchase ingredients from local suppliers and hire local businesses and individuals to help us keep our brewery running smoothly.

To Our Artisans

We value our Colombian artisans and we are committed to empower individual and small artisan’s businesses, establishing direct relationships with them to showcase their craftsmanship and support the area from which all Andina’s genuinely handcrafted products come from.

One of the regions that most need our support is the northern Guajira and its Wayuu indigenous community. A significant aspect of this matriarchal culture is the art of weaving Mochilas (bags). Wayuu women work full days while weaving and can take up to a full month to complete one single bag. A majority of the artisans who make our beautiful mochilas and other merchandise items come from that region. The area is mostly rural, and 9 out of 10 residents live in extreme poverty, made worse by the third year of extreme drought. There is no water in the wells and small local reservoirs have all but dried up.

Andina Brewing Company donates a percentage of proceeds from our merchandise sales towards programs that are effectively improving and expanding access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene services in La Guajira, Colombia.

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