A Good Drink: In Pursuit Of Sustainable Spirits By Shanna Farrell β Review
Spirits β alcohol β are incredibly eco-unfriendly and wasteful to produce, but the industry is stepping up to meet the challenge of creating environmentally sustainable spirits
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Drink like you give a f**k.
β The Trash Collective (formerly, Trash Tiki blog.)
When most people think about cocktails, spirits, and bartending in general, they probably donβt realize that sustainability is a growing concern for the industry. For example, did you know that 95% of the worldβs bourbon comes from Kentucky, and 1.7 million oak barrels were produced there in 2017 alone, according to the Kentucky Distillerβs Association? (For bourbon to be labelled and sold as βbourbonβ, it must be aged in new charred oak β and each barrel must be freshly made for this purpose.) Thatβs a LOT of trees in a world bereft of its trees! Additionally, growing the corn and other grains, as well as the other resources and processes used to create spirits are very wasteful, too. Can alcohol and its ingredients be produced without harming the environment? Who are eco-conscious alcohol producers? How can we, as consumers, support these efforts?
