In light of the “greening” culture in our community, you might be trying to figure out all the little things you can do in your daily life to live more sustainably. However, you probably didn’t realize your choice of beers could lower your carbon footprint.

Thanks to Fuzzy’s Taco Shop offering their new Baja Blond on tap, you can choose a locally-brewed beer over a traditional domestic or imported brew. Baja Blond was first served at the Fuzzy’s location in Denton, according to General Manager Shawn Phillips.

“We named it Baja Blond to correspond with our unique food,” Phillips said. “We offer more of a Baja than traditional Tex-Mex menu.”

Baja Blond is brewed in McKinney by Franconia Brewing Company. Phillips contacted Franconia about brewing something exclusive for Fuzzy’s after seeing the success of a beer served at Lucky Lou’s, a bar in Denton. Franconia brews a honey blonde called Lucky 7 for the Denton bar.

“Franconia was happy to explore something for us, and invited me to sample a few different beers at their brewery,” Phillips said. “I picked the blonde, so that’s where the Baja Blond name comes from.”

A few different factors make Baja Blond a more sustainable choice than a Coors Light or other nationally or internationally brewed beer. First and most simply, it’s locally produced. From growing the raw grain ingredients to producing and delivering the beer, the entire process takes place within 100 miles.

Next, your consumption of the local brew helps a small business that employs personnel in our community. Gigantic corporations such as MillerCoors or Anheuser-Busch InBev, who aren’t fully owned by people in the United States, use their profits in thousands of different ways and places.

Finally, Franconia itself supports the sustainability movement. According to their Web site, they have “greened” their operations by recycling their mash into cattle feed, brewing in an energy-efficient building, buying power from Green Mountain Energy and reusing water.

Every facet of Baja Blond is more sustainable than a major beer. Even the tap handles are made locally. Phillips carved and painted the handles at all Fuzzy’s locations by hand.

While the primary goal of Baja Blond is to sell a high-quality product, offering it allows customers to choose something more sustainable.

You don’t have to eat soy burgers or drink out of cups made from potato starch, after all. If you want to be more sustainable, just order a Baja Blond next time you grab tacos at Fuzzy’s.

John Andrew Willis is a junior Spanish major from Dallas.