New Belgium brews bad beer to highlight dangerous climate change

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (KRDO) -- New Belgium Brewing Company released a purposely bad-tasting beer aimed at warning people about climate change.

The new brew is called Torched Earth Ale, and it's made of ingredients that would "be available in a climate-ravaged future."

According to the brewery, Torched Earth is a message to the "70% of Fortune 500 companies who do not have a real climate plan." The goal is to encourage the companies to make a plan now before it's too late.

New Belgium CEO Steve Fechheimer told 9News the beer tastes like a Band-Aid, made up of hop extracts from dandelions and smoke-tainted water.

In a video, Fat Tire brewer Cody Reif explained what the ingredients represent.

"We picked a smoke malt, and so that's supposed to emulate forest fires," said Reif. "We also wanted to pick some more drought and weather tolerant grains so we picked buckwheat and millet. The other thing that we put in there is we used hop extract because those hops are such a delicate agricultural product."

Fechheimer also said Torched Earth is priced for the future by costing $39.99, saying that in a climate-ravaged world, a six-pack of Fat Tire ale could cost $100.

According to Fechheimer, climate change could affect agriculture, climate zones, and intense weather.

All of the profits of Torched Earth will go towards Protect Our Winters, an organization made up of athletes, scientists, creatives, and business leaders advocating non-partisan policies that protect the world against climate change.

For more information on Torched Earth, and New Belgium's climate-conscious initiative, click here.

Watch the video of Reif and illustrator Kelly Malka describe working on the brew below: