Six spirits producers at the forefront of sustainability

Sustainability has never been a more important consideration, in the drinks industry and beyond. Drinks producers are increasingly looking at ways to improve their businesses in this regard, not only when it comes to their supply chain, production process and packaging, but taking social aspects into account too.

And while these practices are becoming more widespread, there are some that are leading the charge, incorporating this mindset into every aspect of their business and brand, and pioneering new approaches too. Below are some of the spirits category’s sustainability pioneers.

Scottish whisky distillery Nc'nean was set up to “create light and delicious spirits which can exist in harmony with this planet we call home”. The distillery gets its name from the queen of spirits in ancient Gaelic mythology, Neachneohain, who is said to have been a fierce protector of nature.

From the outset, the company has operated using sustainable practices, and published a sustainability report in 2020, the same year it bottled its first whisky. By then the distillery already had net zero carbon emissions, operating on 100% renewable energy. The b-corp distillery is certified organic, and zero waste too, recycling or reusing 99.97% of the site’s waste.

Like the rest of the range, the distillery’s core whisky, Nc'nean Single Malt, is produced using 100% Scottish barley, and is packaged in a 100% recycled glass bottle. In addition to all of its sustainability credentials, it’s an exceptional whisky too.

Among those drinks brands that have sustainability and waste reduction at their very core is Discarded. Set up by William Grant & Sons, this range first launched in 2018 with a Sweet Cascara Vermouth, made using the fruit of the coffee berry, usually a waste product. Not only shining a light on this particular waste product, and creating an interesting vermouth in the process, it helped to start a conversation about waste in the drinks industry.

The range now consists of three products, including a vodka made from Chardonnay grape skins and fruit that are a byproduct of wine production. Also added to this is the alcoholic by-product of dealcoholized wine.

Discarded Banana Peel Rum, meanwhile, not only makes use of banana peels that would otherwise have been discarded, but rum that is used to season casks for malt whisky maturation, which can sometimes be discarded too.

Sustainability is a hot topic in agave spirits, with sustainable practices being adopted throughout the industry. One brand that is inextricably linked with sustainability, and with a focus on the social aspect in particular, is The Lost Explorer Mezcal.

The core of this is a partnership with global charity Voice For Nature Foundation, resulting in support for three projects that have an impact on the brand’s local communities in Oaxaca. The Lost Explorer makes use of a range of sustainable practices in its production too, from solar panels in its agave fields for renewable energy, to biodiversity practices and work at The Lost Laboratory to germinate seeds of genetically diverse agave.

The Lost Explorer range consists of three mezcals, namely an Espadín, Tobalá and Salmiana.

Another agave spirit producer pioneering sustainability practices is Mijenta Tequila, the first tequila to be b-corp certified, as well as being recognised as additive free by Tequila Matchmaker. The company is carbon neutral, makes no use of herbicides or pesticides, and uses packaging that’s eco-friendly.

When Cooper King Distillery was set up, it incorporated a number of sustainable practices, encompassing everything from renewable energy to packaging initiatives to reduce waste.

A relatively new distillery – its first products were launched in 2018, the same year it began filling whisky casks – Cooper King is among the few distilleries in the UK to have run on renewable energy from the outset. Its use of vacuum distillation makes use of significantly less energy than conventional stills, and a closed-loop system for cooling condensers saves water too. The distillery also captures and recycles hot water from its whisky distillation process.

Cooper King Distillery claims to produce England’s First Carbon-Negative Gin, removing 1kg of CO2, and planting one square metre of woodland, per bottle of Cooper King Dry Gin and Herb Gin sold.

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