Of all the types of events breweries put on, few are as highly anticipated by beer fans as anniversary parties. They take all shapes and forms, but are typically a brewing company’s most labor-intensive, time-consuming event of the year. Most of the time it’s all a business can do to brew, package and facilitate service of enough specialty beer to interest and sate the masses, which makes it all the more impressive when a brewery goes the extra mile.
Since arriving on the scene in 2016, Pure Project Brewing has made anniversary above-and-beyondism commonplace, going as far as setting up petting zoos and even spontaneously fermenting an American-style lambic during the festivities. But the most admirable way the company takes things to the next level come party time is through its zero-waste efforts.
At Pure Project’s sixth anniversary in 2022, the company diverted 688 pounds of waste from the local landfill. Of that event-generated waste, 431 pounds were composted and 257 pounds were recycled. Only 57 pounds of unsalvageable trash ended up in the landfill. These eco-conscious efforts fall right in line with the 1% for the Planet company’s firm overarching ethos where preservation of the planet is concerned.
Pure Project’s three-part mantra is “reduce, reuse, recycle”. This involves eschewing single-use items, providing patrons with reusable options, investing in reliable long-term equipment and repurposing items that have reached the end of their lifespans, working with vendors to reduce their use of packaging materials, composting, recycling and working with like-minded organizations such as Sustainability is Sexy. The company also audits waste generated at its anniversary events year-over-year so that it can improve its efforts annually.
“I’m in awe of how our little brewery has grown over the past seven years,” says co-founder Jesse Pine. “From humble beginnings in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, to our five San Diego taprooms today, Pure continues to be inspired by its roots and I’m proud to say we still operate with a commitment to sustainable business practices.”
Pure Project’s founders at first attempted to establish their brewery in the aforementioned Central American city, but insufficient water infrastructure rendered it infeasible. The group returned to the U.S. and went straight to work building their passion project, siting it at the first of local developer H.G. Fenton’s lease-to-brew Brewery Igniter suites in Miramar.
Pure Project moved to a larger facility in Vista in 2021, and now has taprooms in Bankers Hill, Carlsbad Village and North Park. It’s Miramar taproom is still in operation, and that OG spot will be the site of the company’s seventh-anniversary party, which will take place this Saturday, January 28 and benefit the local chapter of the Surfrider Foundation.
“Our taproom events—our anniversary party being the largest of them—provide us with myriad opportunities to make environmentally responsible decisions,” says co-founder Mat Robar. “We are hyper-focused on finding ways to reduce waste, whether that’s by eliminating paper tickets, moving our printed menus to digital formats or asking suppliers to hold the plastic wrap. And where we inevitably generate waste, we recycle or compost as much as possible.”
Pre-event tickets for Pure Project’s anniversary party are sold out, but there will be a limited number of day-of tickets available on-site.
Pure Project Brewing is located at 9030 Kenamar Drive, #308, in Miramar