WHAT DOES SUSTAINABILITY MEAN?

The United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development defines sustainability as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Sustainability is often broken down into 3 pillars: economic (profit), social (people), and environment (planet).

While buzz-words like “green” and “eco-friendly” have long been used to market products to consumers looking to support better practices with their wallet, what exactly does that mean in the spirits industry?

According to a paper published in the Food Climate Research Network authored by Tara Garnett, spirits contribute 6.7% of the alcohol industry’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Considering that by volume liquor consumption makes up only 3.5% of the broad alcohol category (beer, wine, fermented & distilled spirits), these emissions are not to be taken lightly.

To consider the potential environmental impact of any given spirit, a number of factors need to be considered:

1. Farming Practices
2. Packaging
3. Disposal of Distilled Waste
4. Energy Efficiency for Production and Transportation

To make more sustainable decisions as a consumer, it is imperative to know what steps individual producers are taking to reduce their impact on their environment and how they affect the people and communities involved in their production.

Skurnik Spirits is fortunate to offer a number of brands with mindful practices such as respecting local agricultural biodiversity, supporting surrounding communities, and promoting ethical practices that reach into the hidden corners of the world. By seeking out these producers, we are working to do our part to reduce the overall social and environmental cost of spirits.

SQUARE ONE ORGANIC SPIRITS

In 2004, spirits lover Allison Evanow found that there were no producers making exclusively organic spirits and sought to remedy that. She began producing Square One Vodkas from Idaho with a 100% USDA-Organic Certification by Oregon-Tith as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program. Evanow puts great care into every detail of production. Her vodkas are made with water from the Teton Mountains and distilled exclusively from Montana-grown rye lending a nutty complexity. Additionally, Square One’s distillery is the largest consumer of Rocky Mountain Wind Power which generates 25% of the producer’s power. She even includes the use of soy-based inks to create carbon neutral bottle labels, chlorine-free shipper cartons, and recycled materials whenever possible. Also of note are the stylish bottles Square One uses that look good enough to be up-cycled in a variety of ways, with labels created to easily soak off.

In addition to Square One Organic Rye Vodka, Evanow produces a line of inspired flavor-infused vodkas including Cucumber, Bergamot, Basil, and Botanical Vodka. The character of these infusions come from organic botanicals without artificial flavors, sugar or chemical additives.