Certified B Corp Spirits: A Deep Dive into the Brands to Back and Why
14 Mar 2024
It’s B Corp Month and we’re raising a toast to the spirited drinks brands that make this month special. We believe in conscious consumption here on Spirits Kiosk, that buying something is an endorsement of what it is, who makes it, and what it stands for.
“Certified B Corporations are leaders in the global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. Unlike other certifications for businesses, B Lab is unique in our ability to measure a company’s entire social and environmental impact…” - B Corporation.
B Corp Certification is holistic - meaning it’s not exclusively focused on a single social or environmental issue and the process to achieve and maintain certification is rigorous. It all comes down to the belief that, through products, practices, and profits, businesses should aspire to do no harm and to be unequivocally responsible for each other and future generations.
Join us as we sip and savour the brands who practice genuine accountability and transparency in their businesses (and who just so happy to make a bloody good tipple too…)
Nc'nean Distillery
Nc’nean and B Corp - Nc'nean is an independent, organic Scotch whisky distillery ‘that exists to pioneer sustainable production and to create experimental spirits’, officially becoming a certified B Corporation in 2022.
Nc’nean exclusively use organic Scottish barley (meaning it’s produced in the most natural way possible), in their distillery that is solely powered by renewable energy - but their sustainable practices don’t stop there. The liquid sits in a 100% recycled clear glass bottle (that’s beautiful by the way!), while diverting 99.7% of waste from landfill. And as of 2021 Nc’nean became the first whisky distillery in the UK to be verified as net zero carbon emissions for scopes 1 and 2.
Nc’nean however, is not just an environmentally conscious brand, but a distillery that has crafted a mightily tasty dram too. Nc’nean Organic Single Malt Scotch is a smooth, elegant and easy sipping whisky with defining notes of lemon rind, peach skins and juicy apricots. With a spicy rye character emerging on the finish, we’ve been enjoying Nc’nean in their Whisky Six Serve:
50ml Nc’nean|100ml Soda Water|Fresh Mint Sprig for Garnish
The Bruichladdich Distillery Company
Bruichladdich and B Corp - The Bruichladdich Distillery Company pride themselves of being industry pioneers and provocateurs, crafting an antidote to the distillery norm. Reimagining a Victorian Distillery for the future, has meant reconnecting the land and the dram, understanding why agricultural ecosystems are important, and empowering a team to use business as a force for good. The Bruichladdich Distillery have outlined four key pillars of sustainability to reduce the impact of their operations: Agriculture & Biodiversity, Packaging & Waste, Islay & Community and Energy.
Agriculture & Biodiversity - Bruichladdich are working hard to reconnect whisky with agriculture and their contributions are twofold. The ambition is to decarbonise production processes and provide progressive agricultural management through their Shore House Croft - fostering an ever-growing entrepreneurial mindset in the local communities of Islay.
But what are they doing today? Bruichladdich are developing their understanding of rotational farming, adopting accreditation for each area of barley buying (from organic to biodynamic), discouraging monocrops with the view to explore permaculture and acting as an accessible market for the local farming community. Lastly, their ‘farmer and flavour first’ mentality remains at the forefront of their philosophy, through working with agronomists and breeders to celebrate diversity, flavour and yield.
Terroir Matters - Since 2001, Bruichladdich have exclusively used 100% Scottish barley, resulting in a large portfolio of uber-provenance whiskies that are distilled from the produce of local farms. Terroir defines who Bruichladdich are, and is a central pillar of the brand philosophy - and this is something to get excited about! Through their experimentation, they have now distilled Islay’s first ever rye spirit, contributing a new character to their warehouse, already full with whiskies of extraordinary variety, depth and provenance.
See it for yourself - Bruichladdich considers packaging as an extension of their core values, and again their focus is twofold: use less and use better. The Islay Distillery are reducing 100% of unnecessary packing and ensuring that the materials they do use are recyclable or re-usable.
Let’s look at Bruichladdich’s new bottle design for The Classic Laddie for example - the innovative proprietary glass bottle reduces their packing CO2 emissions by a huge 65%. The removal of secondary packing (e.g., tins) and using 60% recycled glass, the bottle is now 32% lighter - meaning more bottles per pallet on to and off Islay. All contributing to a reduced carbon footprint when it comes to shipping.
The philosophy of the Bruichladdich Distillery extends to their gin brand too, The Botanist Islay Dry Gin. The Botanist is a progressive exploration of the botanical heritage of Islay, so you can expect the liquid to be a bouquet of flavour. 22-hand foraged botanicals are sustainably harvested across the island, pushing their mission forward in supporting Islay’s biodiversity and conservation practices.
The 22 local botanicals are delicately loaded into their unique Lomond still and steeped for 12 hours before she is even heated up. It takes a full day to distill The Botanist, but at over 11 thousand litres at a time, it’s a big batch!
To top it off, through The Botanist Foundation, the brand continues to support the Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) while providing year on year funding for a PHD student to study Scottish juniper and its conservation.
Pensador Mezcal
Introducing the world’s first B Corp Certified mezcal - Pensador Mezcal. El Camino Del Pensador is the flavour of Miahuatlán, with its artisanal spirit defined by the place, process, and people of the communities which branch form the Calle Pensamientos - Thoughts Road.
To Pensador, Mezcal is the product of terroir (the earth, climate, biology and inherited techniques of a region). And if you’re an agave aficionado, you’ll understand that each region of Oaxaca is distinct, giving each mezcal style a unique local identity. Miahuatlán though, has one of the most idiosyncratic identities, being the perfect ‘vehicle to display the influence of regionality in mezcal’.
Made and measured by hand, Pensador is produced in tiny batches, so this is NOT the spirit you are going to throw ‘down the hatch’. Drinkers are encouraged to put the same consideration into each sip to fully appreciate its earthy, aromatic, and mineral rich character. The use of organic agave and natural fermentation allows each batch to be unique, despite using traditional methods which remain largely unchanged since the 16th century.
Pensador Espadín Mezcal is a mezcal we keep on rotation in our drinks cabinet for its aromas of buttered, barbecued corn and earthy ancho chillies. The palate brings a rosemary, chamomile and honeyed sweetness to mezcal negronis and smokey margs - but we must admit, it’s even better on its own.
You can count on this being a guilt free serve for your evening tipple, as Pensador donates 10% of its proceeds from each bottle sold to regenerative community projects in Miahuatlán, in collaboration with their charity partner, S.A.C.R.E.D.
The Isle of Wight Distillery
Home to Mermaid Gin, the Isle of Wight Distillery are inspired by their surroundings to ethically source natural ingredients, while respecting their island home. Rock Samphire is foraged from the shoreline, Boadicea hops are harvested from Ventnor Botanic Gardens, elderflower is handpicked from local fields and strawberries for their Pink Gin are grown in the lush and sun-soaked Arreton Valley.
Their mission is simple - produce premium spirits in a sustainable, community-minded way while simultaneously inspiring a reconnection with nature and balancing purpose and profit. The Isle of Wight achieved and continues to maintain B Corp Certification since 2022 - but what got them there?
Packaging - The iconic Mermaid bottle is made 100% of natural materials and is plastic free, lending itself beautifully to upcycling and repurposing. Their sustainable packaging practices even filter down to minimising cardboard waste, by shredding and repurposing their boxes as bedding for local livestock.
Seagrass Restoration Project - Seagrass in the Solent has the incredible power to sequester carbon at an outstanding rate, sheltering a wealth of wildlife and ecosystems beneath the surface. Human activity has polluted and reduced the water quality surrounding the island, so Mermaid continues to work with the ‘Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust’ to monitor and restore these seagrass meadows outside their distillery door.
But their efforts don’t stop there - The Isle of Wight Distillery have partnered with ‘ Surfers Against Sewage’ to fight water pollution across the UK, campaigning to organise beach cleans, and plastic free lifestyle advice. You can read more about their sustainability journey timeline here.
Two Drifters Distillery
Two Drifters are a carbon negative distillery that produces British and sustainably made, feel good rum. Founded by husband and wife team, Russ and Gemma Wakeham, Two Drifters proves to be the perfect blend of rum, science, innovation and passion. Trust us when we say that Two Drifters Signature Rum, stands out beautifully in Tiki styleld cocktails like the Zombie or Piña Colada.
Russ’ academic career focused on chemistry research into carbon capture, storage and utilisation, so the passion for sustainable practices has been at the heart of the Two Drifters Distillery since the beginning.
At the time of writing this, Two Drifters have managed to avoid 170.32 tonnes of CO2, while removing 35.932 tonnes of CO2 at the same time. The team are also fully aware that issues facing the climate can only be reduced if businesses, no matter their size, start to measure and become openly accountable and transparent about their actions. And the best way to do so is to lead by example….
Two Drifters have created a carbon tax and work with Climeworks who are experts in carbon capture, meaning that creating CO2 costs them money. So what do they do to avoid creating it wherever possible? Their electric distillery runs on 100% renewable energy, electric vehicles, carbon neutral packaging, and closed loop chilling systems. Two Drifters also partner with Carbfix, who turn the captured CO2 into stone and store it underground.
And it’s not just the process, but the actual product itself that is setting new standards. Take the label for example, it’s made from 95% sugarcane fibre (which is a waste material) and 5% hemp and linen.
If you’re interested to find out more about The ISWC’s Green Spirit Initiative Award Winner 2023, you can read their industry first, Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) here.
Sacred Spirits
Sacred Spirits are a family-run distillery based in Highgate, London, using vacuum distillation and organically sourced botanicals to produce an incomparable spirit range that preserves the richness of flavour and aroma found in hand-picked botanicals.
So, how do Sacred Spirits continue to maintain their B Corp status?
Employment - Sacred Spirits are a National Living Wage accredited employer, creating a space to encourage staff to pursue career development opportunities. They also ‘recruit blind’, removing identifiers on applicant’s CVs to ensure an equal opportunity of employment.
Environment - On top of vacuum distillation (which uses 90% less energy than a traditional pot still), Sacred have also designed an innovative closed-loop condensation water circulator that reduces water usage by 120,000 litres a year. Furthermore, the juicy flesh of organic citrus fruits peeled for maceration, are collected and donated to local ice cream bars and restaurants, thus supporting local businesses at the same time. Sacred’s waste botanicals are broken down using anaerobic digestion and in 2023 the distillery and shop also managed to send zero waste to landfill, as well as being assessed to the highest standards of traceability by the Soil Association.
If you're looking to step up the complexity of your next Negroni... Sacred English Spiced Vermouth is the way to go.
Avallen Calvados
Avallen Calvados is a planet-positive spirit made from just three things: apples, water and time, and they are all about that delicious moment where flavour and sustainability converge. From blossom to bottle, Avallen are accountable and transparent in their mission to make great Calvados without giving the planet a hangover. So how do they do it?
Apples & Orchards - Avallen’s apple trees sequester more carbon than they emit year on year, contributing to the support of biodiversity in the region. The orchards are also grown in local tradition, no chemicals or artificial irrigation.
Water - With agriculture using 70% of the world’s fresh water supply, Avallen feel like they have a huge responsibility to use water wisely. With Calvados regulations prohibiting artificial irrigation, and Avallen only using 25 times recirculated water to wash the apples, it only takes 1.2 litres of water to produce 70cl of Avallen.
Bees - Avallen have partnered with The Bumblebee Conservation Trust, providing financial support for bee preservation, as well as handing out thousands of Kabloom Beeboms for people to grow wildflowers that provide essential food for bees.
Knowledge Sharing - Founders Steph and Tim also host a series of webinars titled ‘Positively Charged’ that brings together true innovators in the fields of drinks, hospitality and sustainability. Want to know more? Avallen tackles topics such as Ethical PR, Sustainable Banking, and Greenwashing, which can all be found on their website, here. While you’re there, we suggest checking out their Frugal paper bottle, that has 1/6 of the carbon footprint and 1/5 of the water footprint of a regular glass bottle.
And there we have it - you should now be ready to get stuck in and savour the deliciously sustainable world of B Corp Spirits. For the month of March we have a whole section of our website dedicated to B Corp Certified drinks, which you can check out, here.