Even with the COVID-19 pandemic interfering with normal business operations, many breweries that can are still brewing and releasing beer. Worthy Brewing is among those, and announced today the release of its newest seasonal, Tenmile Dry Hopped Lager. This beer will be available in cans with highly eco-friendly packaging, getting an early start on Earth Day celebrations.

Here is the brewery’s press release:

Worthy Brewing Celebrates Earth Day with Tenmile Dry Hopped Lager, a Seasonal Release that Captures the Brewery’s Commitment to Sustainability and Stewardship

– A percentage of sales will go to Operation Appleseed, Worthy Garden Club’s initiative to plant 1 million trees across Oregon to help restore damaged forests and combat climate change –

With Earth Day approaching, Worthy Brewing is proud to announce the release of Tenmile Dry Hopped Lager. If ever a brewery has a defining moment, with a beer whose flavor, packaging and art embody its mission, this is The One.

“Tenmile captures what Worthy’s all about,” said Roger Worthington, founder of Worthy Brewing. “It features an Oregon bred and grown hop, Strata, which is sparking the imagination of brewers worldwide. It’s supporting Operation Appleseed, our initiative to plant over one million trees in our great green state. Its compostable and recyclable packaging speaks to our quest towards sustainability. And on top of all that, my goodness it’s the best lager I’ve ever tasted.”

“This beer is a dream come true for us,” said Dustin Kellner, Worthy’s brew master. “Don’t get me wrong, we love our IPAs, but we’ve been moving in the direction of lagers and pilsners for a few years now. For us, Tenmile bridges the best of both worlds. We think it’s special.”

What makes it special? Worthy took a classic German lager recipe and dry hopped it with Strata, a versatile hop that plays well with both IPAs and lagers. The result is a lager with a uniquely strawberry aroma and a clean, sparkling, lip-smacking finish that leaves the taste buds wanting more. At 5.0% ABV, Tenmile hits that drinkability sweet spot, and the IBUs are negligible at 23.

Tenmile also epitomizes Worthy’s commitment to the environment and sustainability. A healthy percentage of Tenmile sales will be donated to Operation Appleseed, an initiative launched by Worthy’s philanthropic arm, Worthy Garden Club, to support forest rejuvenation across Oregon through the planting of 1 million trees over three years.

The lager’s name comes from one of Operation Appleseed’s special projects on the Oregon Coast. Tenmile is a creek in the Siuslaw National Forest that empties into the Pacific a few miles south of Yachats, Oregon, and it’s a magical place with a few remaining old growth forest groves. Operation Appleseed is working with Oregon State University, local conservation districts and volunteers to rewild a 63-acre parcel straddling the creek that was clear-cut about 80 years ago.

The packaging also speaks to Worthy’s sustainability ethos. Bucking the trend towards adhesive paper or shrink wrap labels on aluminum cans, which regrettably render the cans virtually unrecyclable, Tenmile cans are both small batch and 100% recyclable. The brewery sourced a printer who is able to provide affordable small batch runs with an amazing new ink printing process. Their new 1-micron thick, water-based, digital printing technology uses 90% less ink than traditional can printing operations. Additionally, the durable egg-carton-like six-pack carriers are 100% compostable, and could even be planted in a garden to decompose.

Tenmile Lager will be available at New Seasons, Roth’s, Market of Choice and Trader Joe’s throughout Oregon from now through the Summer.

This sounds a bit like an Italian-style pilsner and I’ll be looking to get my hands on some at some point.