These days, a number of bars are putting sustainability on tap with eco-friendly brews and green business mindsets. Though eco-bars are still a fairly new concept, the idea is brewing slowly from coast to coast, much to the pleasure of green bar flies nationwide.  Many eco-bars are starting with the basics–food and drink–by decking out their menus with organically brewed beers, locally grown foods and even biodynamic wines. But don’t worry–just because a menu is eco doesn’t mean it’s lame-o. Take the Ukiah Brewing Company in Ukiah, Calif., the nation’s first all-organic brewpub, which offers a wide range of organic ales and lagers like stout and porter and even serves up the nation’s first organic beer in a can.  Other bars stack their menus with atypical but always interesting local and/or organic foods, like wild salmon and handmade pasta. For those in the mood for a stiffer drink, bars like Raven’s Restaurant in Mendocino, Calif., are the place to be, with wide selections of organic cocktails made with local fruits and organic wines.  The menu is often just the starting point for going green. Some places like Hopworks Urban Brewery in Portland, Ore., go the extra mile with eco-friendly features like running deliveries with biodiesel-fueled vehicles and re-using excess heat in the brewing process. Other places compost their waste, a huge boon to the environment considering that Americans throw away more than 25% of the food they prepare, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Some bars go truly full circle by using their compost to grow fresh fruits and vegetables in their gardens, which they then serve up to their patrons.  Some of the best green ideas are the simplest ones. In Williamsburg, N.Y., Brooklyn Bowl’s no cans, no bottles policy keeps waste to a minimum while providing beer enthusiasts with an extensive draught beer list that would make any Brooklynite proud. Since drinking liquor, beer or wine all night inevitably results in a trip or two to the restroom, many eco-bars have made the smart and simple choice to install low-flow or dual-flush toilets in their restrooms, which save water. Others create useful items like planters out of their used beer kegs and recycle used fryer oil into diesel.  Sure, going to a green bar isn’t going to save the planet, but supporting bars that take the extra effort to lesson their carbon footprint is a great way to encourage businesses to go green any way they can. That’s an outcome that any greenie can drink to. Cheers!  Jessica A. Knoblauch is a contributor to the Mother Nature Network.  See Also: Keeping Your Home Clean And ‘Green’ Surprising Home Energy Hogs Eco-Tech  Comments are turned off for this post.
Want to raise a glass in a place that treads lightly on the environment? There is a new breed of eco-friendly bars around the U.S.