In an attempt to raise awareness about the ability to turn wastewater into safe drinking water, a brewery in Stockholm, Sweden has launched a new beer brand made with recycled sewage water.

Aptly called PU:REST, the new beer crafted by Stockholm’s Nya Carnegiebryggeriet (New Carnegie Brewery) in collaboration with the Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL) and Carlsberg is supposed to convince people that “second-hand water” can be as clean as normal tap water. IVL claims that the challenge to get people to drink recycled water is not a technological one, but a psychological one, so what better way to convince consumers of the purity of treated wastewater than using it to create a beer.

Photo: New Carnegie Brewery

PU:REST just launched in Sweden on May 25th, and it’s already being called “crap beer” on social media, but its creators remain hopeful that it will help change the general opinion about recycled wastewater.

“The difficulties in getting this relatively cost- and energy-efficient method to be used for the production of drinking water is not technical but primarily emotional,” said Staffan Filipsson, project manager at IVL. “The recycled water is as pure and safe as normal tap water, but most people are still skeptical about actual drinking purified wastewater.”

“In a world threatened by water shortage we wanted to show that we already have technologies to recycle wastewater into drinking water that is as clean as normal tap water,” Filipsson added.

Photo: New Carnegie Brewery

Chris Thurgeson, brewmaster at New Carnegie Brewery, described PU:REST as a “crystal clear pilsner”, adding that his company took this challenge because it believes “that both producers and consumers must dare to think differently if we are to successfully take care of Earth’s resources”.

PU:REST reportedly has “a very clean and crisp taste”, but judging by the comments left on the New Carnegie Brewery Facebook page, consumers are not that excited about it.

You can currently try PU:REST at New Carnegie Brewery’s restaurant in Stockholm, or wait until it goes on sale at select restaurants and festivals across Sweden, on July 2nd. Enjoy!