Dutch brewer Lowlander recycles Christmas trees to make its beer

Dutch botanical brewery Lowlander Beer is using discarded Christmas trees to make its 2019 Winter IPA beer as part of its latest zero-waste campaign.

Amsterdam-based Lowlander has been collecting unwanted trees from bars, restaurants and the public in the Netherlands to transform them into bottles of its refreshing brew. It has plans to roll out the campaign in the UK for the 2019 Christmas period. 

At least 600kg of needles are needed to produce the 2019 batch of Winter IPA. In order to collect enough trees, Lowlander has partnered with Amsterdam’s RAI Convention Centre, the Amsterdam Botanical Gardens and several restaurants – all of which have pledged to donate their trees.

Lowlander Beer chief botanical officer Frederik Kampman said: “Every December, about 2.5 million real trees bring Christmas spirit into our homes. By new year, most of these end up in the chipper, on bonfires or piled at the roadside. We have found another use for them: in beer.” 

The 5% Winter IPA is brewed with spruce needles and juniper berries and is said to have hoppy tones and a citrus kick.

In order to make the collection, Lowlander has launched its Tree to Table crowdfunding campaign.

By crowdfunding, the company will give the Lowlander community a stake in the project and the chance to be among the first to receive an exclusive bottle its limited-edition Lowlander Botanical Brut, a sparkling beer made with spruce and Champagne yeast. 

Once the trees’ needles have been preserved, the remaining parts of the tree will be used to make a range of smoked cheeses and smoking chips.