Early Inspiration
One of Beerburg’s early inspirations in using foraged, native ingredients was a program called Beers Made by Walking (BMBW), created by Eric Steen. Beers Made By Walking is a program that invites brewers and other interested folks to go on nature hikes and urban walks, and make new beer inspired by the edible and medicinal plants from the trail.
The initial BMBW program took place in Colorado Springs in 2011 and was intended to simply get people outdoors, do something creative, and think about their local landscapes in new ways. As the event grew, BMBW evolved its mission to raise funding for environmental non-profits by working with them to create educational programming in outdoor areas.
Since 2011, BMBW has worked with more than 200 breweries throughout the country and has raised tens of thousands of dollars for non-profit organizations.
Beerburg + BMBW
Beerburg is proud to partner with BMBW to host the first program in the Southwest region. This collaborative event consists of four hikes throughout 2023 where participants will learn about native, non-native, and invasive plants, along with important environmental issues surrounding the region. Each hike will be coordinated with a local non-profit partner that works to protect the land and water in the region, and will be led by a local professional who can identify edible plants and speak to their medicinal and culinary uses. Our partners are The Shield Ranch Foundation, The Watershed Association, Colorado River Land Trust, and The Nature Conservancy. Please see below for more info about each partner.
After the hikes, our participating brewers will be invited to brew a beer inspired by the the plants, herbs, or even landscapes from the hikes. The program culminates in an outdoor festival showcasing the nature-inspired brews, with ticket proceeds going to benefit the four non-profits that partnered with us along the way.
Want to participate?
Participating brewers (homebrewers welcome too!) must attend at least one scheduled hike, and brew a beer inspired in some way by the experience. Beers must be finished by November to be included in the festival.
Hike Schedule (click HERE to RSVP or request more info):
April 30 – The Shield Ranch with the Shield Ranch Foundation
May 20 – Jacob’s Well with the Watershed Association
June 24 – Patterson Ranch at Lake Buchanan with the Colorado River Land Trust
September 16 – Barton Creek Habitat Preserve with the Nature Conservancy
BMBW Festival – Saturday, November 11 2023
Festival information and ticket sales will be posted here soon!
Click HERE to learn more!
Our BMBW Partners
The Shield Ranch Foundation is a nonprofit (501c3) private operating foundation organized by the owners of Shield Ranch to share the Ranch in ways that educate, inspire and transform. The Shield Ranch Foundation operates El Ranchito (a summer program for youth) and hosts other programs on the Ranch. Their 6400 acres of land comprises 10% of the Barton Creek Watershed.
The Watershed Association’s vision is for a future with clean, plentiful water flowing from Jacob’s Well into Cypress Creek, a healthy ecosystem essential to the culture and economy of the Wimberley Valley. Their mission includes fostering community awareness of the watershed and the community’s responsibility to its watershed in the Wimberley Valley, across the Hill Country region, and throughout the state of Texas. They also work to engage communities and provide experiences that reconnect people with nature.
Colorado River Land Trust works to protect land and water in the Colorado River watershed—today and for future generations. Their service area spans from the high plains in west Texas, through the Hill Country, to the productive farmland and coastal fisheries and wetlands near the Gulf of Mexico.
The Nature Conservancy is an international organization with branches across the United States. In Texas, one of the areas they protect is the Barton Creek Preserve, which provides habitat for migratory songbirds and protects water quality in the Barton Creek Watershed.