The green spirits revolution, and no absinthe in sight
There have been an uncountable number of words written about how the restaurant industry has had to adapt to survive, and altogether fewer on how the premium booze market is staying afloat. Like the hospitality trade, spirits distillers and winemakers have seen a huge portion of their trade wiped out over lockdown, unable to sell directly to bars and restaurants.
But like the hospitality trade, drinks companies have had to reassess their businesses and work out ways to connect directly with customers. One theme that’s emerged from this soul searching is the rise of eco spirits.
VIVIR is distilled in collaboration with the multi-award-winning Casa Maestri, using natural volcanic spring water and traditional production processes.
“I worked for a food company and brought Bircher muesli to the UK,” says co-founder Paul Hayes. “Because of an allergy, the only sweetener I can use in my muesli was agave syrup. This led me to build up some pretty useful contact in the agave world…”
VIVIR produces three expressions, Blanco, Reposado and Añejo. Co-founder Nav Grewal says the secret to creating great tequila is to eliminate the unknown and to know your agave. “The agave is estate-grown by one distillery which means we know the pH in the soil and the jimador who farmed it.
Cooper King unveils first carbon-negative English gins 3rd February, 2021 by Nicola Carruthers
Yorkshire-based Cooper King Distillery has produced what are thought to be England’s first carbon-negative gins.
Cooper King’s Herb and Dry gins are now certified carbon negative
The distillery’s Dry Gin and Herb Gin have been certified carbon negative, meaning the production of the two products removes more carbon from the atmosphere than what is released.
Cooper King reduced the carbon footprint of the two gins as far as possible, before offsetting the rest with verified carbon credits from Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard programme. Furthermore, 1kg of carbon dioxide equivalent is offset per bottle.
Cooper King Distillery gins declared carbon negative Yorkshire s Cooper King Distillery has become the first in England to produce carbon-negative gins. The award-winning distiller s Dry and Herb Gins are now classed as carbon negative, meaning that for every bottle of spriti produced, more carbon is removed from the atmosphere than is emitted. To achieve this status, Cooper King has done as much as possible to reduce the carb on footprint of the gins. It has then offset the remainder of the emissions - plus a further 1kg of CO2 equivalent per bottle - through high-impact verified carbon credits, which support greenhouse gas emission reduction schemes elsewhere.