Bike friendly business

West Sixth Brewing named a Silver Level Bicycle Friendly Business by the League of American Bicyclists

Last month, the League of American Bicyclists recognized West Sixth Brewing with a Silver Level Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB) award, earning it a place alongside 1,266 bike-forward businesses across the country in a commitment to building a more Bicycle Friendly America.

With the announcement of 83 nationwide new and renewing BFBs during National Bike Month, West Sixth Brewing joins other Lexington businesses such as Bullhorn (Gold), Lexmark International, Inc. (Gold), Broomwagon Bikes & Coffee (Silver), and Mediocre Creative (Silver).

Kentucky as a whole has two Bike Friendly Communities — Louisville (Silver) and Lexington (Bronze) and 4 Bike Friendly Universities — University of Kentucky (Gold), University of Louisville (Silver), Morehead State University (Silver), Transylvania University (Bronze).

“With each new round of Bicycle Friendly Business awards, we see the movement to create a more Bicycle Friendly America for everyone growing. Forward-thinking organizations like West Sixth Brewing are seeing the benefits of encouraging biking, whether it’s happier employees, lower health care costs, or reaching new customers,” says Executive Director Bill Nesper of the League of American Bicyclists.

“From day one as a company we have focused on not just making great beer but also creating a strong community in Lexington”, said Ben Self, West Sixth co-owner. “We found a great way to continue to grow and support the community was by partnering with Broke Spoke Community Bike Shop to focus on encouraging bike riding for transportation and other health focused avenues.”

“The fun thing about applying to be a Bicycle Friendly Business was the feedback we received from the League”, said Tim Buckingham, West Sixth Employee. “We knew we were bike friendly but the application was very challenging and we received feedback for goals that we can strive for in the future. “

Moving forward, West Sixth Brewing will have access to a variety of tools and technical assistance from the League to become even more bicycle-friendly. When employees bike, great things happen: reduced parking stress, healthier employees, and a visible presence in the community to get active.  

To learn more about the BFB program, or to apply, visit the League online at www.bikeleague.org/business.

To learn more about West Sixth Brewing’s sustainability efforts, you can view the 2018 Sustainability Report at www.westsixth.com/sustainability2018