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Harpoon Brewery, Desalitech unveil new beer made from treated Charles River water

Harpoon Brewery Desalitech treated Charles River water 1
From left: Charlie Storey, Harpoon Brewery; Nadav Efraty, Desalitech; Rick Stover, Desalitech, and Francesco Fragasso, Desalitech (Photo credit: Nir Landau)
Harpoon Brewery Desalitech treated Charles River water 2
(Photo credit: Nir Landau)

Boston-based craft brewer Harpoon Brewery and Newton-based water treatment company Desalitech has toasted the first taste of Charles River Pale Ale, a limited edition beer brewed from purified water from the Charles River, on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall in the Seaport.

Harpoon detailed the water treatment process. Click here to read all about it.

The collaboration to create this unique beer began last month, when Desalitech withdrew 300 gallons of water from the Charles River and treated it through one of its reverse osmosis units, recovering a significantly higher percentage than the industry average and using less energy than traditional reverse osmosis systems – a hallmark of Desalitech’s solutions.

The water it produced exceeded Harpoon Brewery’s stringent ingredient water quality requirements. Harpoon Brewery brewed the purified river water into a light-bodied, copper-colored ale with a slightly spicy, fruity hop aroma and a sweet, smooth, hoppy finish.