FOR as long as I can remember, there has been an imperative to 'go green'.
It might have been the sage advice of John Craven on Newsround back in the day or some revolutionary recycling initiative when I was at school, but the drive to preserve the environment is not a recent phenomenon.
Ever since we realised that spraying our underarms with antiperspirant was carving out a big hole in the ozone layer, there has been a need to approach many aspects of our life from a green perspective.
Having three different rubbish bins at your house may not seem like a big step, but coming from 30 or 40 years ago when everything got shoved into one bin and indiscriminately tipped into landfill, it represents a fair bit of progress.
The vast majority of microbreweries are independent operations, so sustainability isn't just a green concern - it helps them stay afloat.
Cornish-based brewers Verdant are so committed to going green that they took it as inspiration for their name.
This is not only a nod to their sustainable credentials, but an indication of the fresh, hop forward beers they like to produce.
I got my hands on a couple of fresh-off-the-line cans this week. First up was There Will Be No Intervals, a 4.5 per cent pale ale made with Mosaic and Simcoe.
It pours a cloudy, light amber colour in the glass (Verdant were all over the #nofilter lark before it was an Instagram thing).
There's a few stone fruit aromas flying out and that sweet, fresh flavour follows through. Notes of citrus make sure the sweetness isn't too sickly, but there is a sticky, crushable quality to this one.
Those citrus notes contribute to the low-key bitterness in what is otherwise a smooth and easy drinker.
Next up is 10 Watt Moon, another 4.5 per cent hazy pale. Again, we are treated to an amber colour in the glass and the aromas started flooding out on the pour.
Never is the mantra of 'hops fade, drink fresh' more appropriate than with Verdant's beers.
This one leans more toward the tropical with notes of pineapple and mango peeping through and there's some low-level bitterness going on.
There's wheat and oats in the malt bill, which contribute to a smooth and slightly creamy mouthfeel, making this another one that goes down easy despite the depth of flavour.
