Sean Hoyne has decided to make a case for sustainable living one beer case at a time. The local craft brewer has taken to pedal power to get his suds to the street.
Hoyne, owner of Hoyne Brewing, will unveil his latest creation Wednesday - a limited edition India Pale Ale called Wolf Vine - that will be transported to downtown liquor stores via GeaZone Eco-Courier's cargo bikes.
"We believe strongly in if you have the opportunity to make a small change toward sustainability you should take it," Hoyne said.
"I believe that in the long run, sustainability will be brought about by a cumulative approach, by individuals making small decisions on a daily basis that all add up to a brighter future."
The small decision Hoyne is making this week is to park his delivery truck for a couple of days and hire GeaZone's bikes to make the close-in deliveries.
"It's a very small step, but if it can take one vehicle off the road for a couple of days of the week, that's good for me," he said. "Is it cost-effective from a business point of view?
"We're not spending money on fuel, repairs [or] using the vehicle. This is our attempt at creating a more sustainable means of delivering our beer."
Deliveries to destinations further afield will still be done by delivery truck, but Hoyne noted the downtown core represents 50 per cent of his production.
Hoyne said the cargo bikes will primarily focus on cases rather than kegs, and on the stores rather than pubs, though he can see the time when a pub may call on a Friday running low.
"In that case we may call and have them take one down," he said.
GeaZone hit the streets earlier this year with a pair of custom-made, threewheeled cargo bikes that can handle up to 270 kilograms. In that time, the service has proved popular enough to amass a client list of 75 regular users.
The bikes, which are 2.5 metres long and 1.2 metres wide, are equipped with 500-watt electric-assist motors charged by solar panels at GeaZone's offices.
According to GeaZone owner Andrew Mitchell, the bikes can easily run with downtown traffic at 30 kilometres per hour and are in line with the rates charged by other motorized couriers.
He said the company now has an online delivery system that he believes rivals any of the big names in the package-delivery game.
At this point, Mitchell has been contracted to cycle beer into the system once or twice a week, but both he and Hoyne can see the service expanding.
"I think this gives Victoria an opportunity to see that you can do things differently," said Hoyne. "We are committed to this."
