Beers with a Purpose: Creating the Shower Hour IPA and Laundry Club Kölsch
Epic Cleantec is committed to shifting the narrative around water reuse and overcoming one of the biggest barriers to wider water reuse adoption: the so-called “yuck factor” — that instinctive hesitation people feel when they hear the phrase recycled water.
So in 2022, we decided to tackle the issue in a novel way: by brewing beer with it.
The first experiment: OneWater Brew
Working with the award-winning team at Devil’s Canyon Brewing Company, we created OneWater Brew, a premium craft beer made with highly purified recycled water that was collected from the showers and washing machines of a San Francisco high-rise building. The water went through a rigorous, multi-step treatment process to ensure it was ultra-purified before getting sent off to the brewery.
We honestly weren’t sure what to expect in the reception of this beer. Would people be open to trying a beer made from recycled water? Or would the “yuck factor” keep them away?
The answer was clear after the first sip. Most people’s curiosity quickly turned into excitement, as OneWater Brew sparked meaningful conversations about the perception of recycled water. It also helped that the beer was light, crisp and had a deliciously fresh taste we could only credit the water quality with providing.
What started as a one-time awareness project to show how safe and clean recycled water can be quickly took on a life of its own. The beer went viral, racking up more than 3.5 billion media impressions, earning a spot on TIME’s Best Inventions list, and recognized as a Fast Company World Changing Idea. It was poured at events across the country and, most importantly, helped chip away at long-held misconceptions about recycled water.
With demand for the beer pouring in, we decided to take the next step and move to a commercial product line. But this time with a bold new twist: directly calling out where this water came from to truly test the bounds of acceptance.
A new chapter: Shower Hour IPA + Laundry Club Kölsch
We’re proud to introduce our two new recycled water beers: The Shower Hour IPA (ABV 6%) and the Laundry Club Kölsch (ABV 4.6%).
And they’re not just conversation starters; they’re carefully crafted, sustainably minded beers.
The Shower Hour IPA, for example, uses:
- Azacca® hops, which grow efficiently, require less water, and have robust disease tolerance
- Fonio, an ancient grain that is naturally drought-tolerant, grows quickly without fertilizers, and supports soil health, making it one of the world’s most sustainable cereals
- Kveik yeast, which ferments quickly at warm temperatures, cutting down on energy use.
These choices make it one of the most sustainability-forward IPAs you can buy without sacrificing flavor. Together, these beers aren’t just about great taste. They’re about starting conversations, reshaping perceptions, and showing just how far water innovation has come.
So…why beer?
Water recycling is often misunderstood. People hear “recycled water” and think of wastewater pipes, not crystal-clear, safe-to-drink (technically) purified water. In reality, advanced treatment technologies, like the ones built into Epic Cleantec’s systems, produce exceptionally clean water.
Explaining that in a technical spec sheet doesn’t always land, especially for some that are not well versed in all things water. That’s where beer comes in. Sharing a pint is universal, approachable, and familiar. It creates space for real conversations about what water reuse looks like with something people are familiar with. When someone tastes a beer brewed with purified recycled water and says, “This tastes amazing,” or “I would have never known it was made with recycled water,” suddenly, the science becomes a lot more tangible. When we can shift perspective from negative to positive, it creates acceptance among a larger group of people.
Ultimately, that’s our goal: a wider acceptance for water recycling technology in our buildings and communities as the standard, not the exception. These beverages allow people to experience firsthand the possibilities of recycled water, while reinforcing that sustainable choices can be made in everyday life.
The bigger picture: why this matters
These beers just for fun. The need for innovative water treatment solutions is more urgent than ever.
- 40 out of 50 U.S. states are projected to face water shortages in the next decade
- Only about 1% of Earth’s freshwater surface resources are available for human use
- Nearly 80% of global wastewater is discharged back into the environment untreated, causing larger ecosystem issues
- By 2050, nearly 6 billion people could experience water scarcity for at least one month each year.
- In California, only 18% of wastewater is recycled while over 50% of current urban water use goes toward non-potable end uses—like toilet flushing, irrigation, and cooling—uses where recycled water is a perfect fit
Water is often described as a renewable resource, but in reality, it’s finite. The amount of water on Earth today is the same that’s been available for billions of years. What changes is where that water is, how clean it is, and how accessible it is to people and the environment. We need water to further develop our growing communities, and to sustain people, ecosystems, and economies for generations to come. It’s time to rethink how we use, treat, and reuse our water.
Building on a movement
The success of OneWater Brew proved that people are ready to embrace water recycling solutions. Our new beers take the idea further: reminding people that the everyday activities like showering and doing laundry produce huge amounts of water that can be captured, cleaned, and reused. The water that went into Shower Hour and Laundry Club was sourced from the washing machines and showers of our California projects and treated to the highest levels of purity, including a reverse osmosis treatment.
We had so many people tell us that the OneWater Brew campaign changed the way they think about water. And that’s exactly the point. If we can shift perception over a pint, we can unlock more acceptance for recycled water across industries, communities, and cities.
What’s next
The Shower Hour IPA and Laundry Club Kölsch are more than just beers. They’re storytelling tools, science lessons, and invitations to think differently about our most essential resource. As we continue to install and operate more water reuse systems in cities across the United States, we want these beers to remind us that big change often starts with small, shared moments; a conversation with a friend, a toast at an event, a first sip that makes you rethink everything.
So, the next time you raise a glass, remember: the future of water is not about scarcity. It’s about creativity, resilience, and reuse. And it might just taste like your new favorite beer.
