Sustainable brewing

Sketchbook has committed to decrease our carbon footprint and be kind to the planet from the very beginning. When our startup Kickstarter back in 2014 met our goal early, we asked for extra funding to support equipment such as a heat exchanger and cold water tanks. “Local brewing is already a green enterprise -- reducing transportation, refrigeration, bottling, and other pollution-contributing processes -- but the new equipment would allow us to be as green as possible from the get-go,” said one of Sketchbook’s principal owners, Shawn Decker.

Spent grains:

We currently are repurposing most of our spent grains, saving it from landfill, and are constantly working on ways to eliminate more waste. Cheers to sustainable brewing practices! Each week, Head Brewer Cesar Marron drives about 12,000 lbs of spent grain to Hasselmann Family Farm, in Marengo, to feed to their livestock. We are working towards fully diverting grains from landfill and have reduced our waste by 50%, furthering our commitment to sustainability and helping the community.

farm projects:

We are longtime fans and partners with The Talking Farm, an urban agriculture non-profit just down the street that shares our commitment to sustainability. We grow some hops on their farm, and use them in wet-hopped small brews each year. We also support their work by sponsoring events and concerts. We love using locally-sourced ingredients and it doesn’t get much closer than Skokie.