California craft beer brewers balance drafts and drought

Bottles of beer move along during bottling at Stone Brewing Co., on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2015, in Escondido, Calif. In an effort to reduce water use, the brewery is spending $1 million on expanding its $8 million wastewater treatment system installed in 2008, and aims to use only three gallons of water for every gallon of beer it produces. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Bottles of beer move along during bottling at Stone Brewing Co., on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2015, in Escondido, Calif. In an effort to reduce water use, the brewery is spending $1 million on expanding its $8 million wastewater treatment system installed in 2008, and aims to use only three gallons of water for every gallon of beer it produces. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

By Associated Press October 11, 2015 5 min read

FALLBROOK, Calif. (AP) – Amid severe drought, the water board in this Southern California town imposed restrictions on Fallbrook Brewing Co., just as the tiny brewer doubled capacity to meet demand for its craft beers.

To cut monthly water use by about 10 percent, owner Chuck McLaughlin bought an extra 310-gallon tank to catch water used in the brewing process to reuse it for cleaning equipment. His new brewhouse includes a chiller that uses two-thirds less water than his old one.

As a small business, there’s no extra money to pay potentially thousands in fines if he exceeds the limit.

So far, “it’s been very close,” said McLaughlin, whose brewery is run out of a former consignment shop in Fallbrook, a town of 30,000 people about 60 miles north of San Diego.

California has more craft breweries – small, independent beer makers that use traditional ingredients – than any other state. More than 570 are in operation and another 240 are slated to open, according to the California Craft Brewers Association. Craft breweries contributed $6.5 billion to the state economy last year alone, producing 3.5 million barrels.