Stateways

technology that allows it to reclaim water used in the tequila���s production. According to Greg Cohen, the communications director of Patr��n Spirits, the Mexican government is working with Patr��n to share some of its innovations with the rest of the tequila industry. ���There���s varying degrees of what makes a spirit ���organic��� or ���sustainable,������ says Cohen. ���What it means to us is to focus on ways that we can limit the environmental impact of our tequila production. And, fortunately, other distilleries are engaged in similar practices, too. I think that will certainly grow to become common practice across our industry.��� Herradura, another tequila producer, has worked to offset its environmental impact over the past 15 years, including implementing a multimillion-dollar wastewater reuse and filtration plant, as well as renewable energy, composting and recycling programs. ���Although we are seeing a growing demand for organic and sustainable consumer products in general ��� mainly from Europe, the U.S. and Japan ��� in the U.S. and Mexico, the sustainable spirits category is still a niche,��� says Valdemar Cantu, brand manager at Herradura. ���It is exciting to see more sustainable spirit brands being introduced every year, but it remains a very small sub-category compared to non-organic spirits.��� A growing number of craft micro-distilleries are capitalizing on the consumer demand for sustainable spirits. By definition, a locally produced spirit can be a sustainable choice simply by virtue of not havWholesome Spirit ing been shipped from far away to store pirits companies have hopped American Harvest shelves. Catoctin Creek Distilling in on the green bandwagon, Organic Spirit is an Purcellville, VA, is not only certified promising an eco-friendly example of one of the alternative to industrially pro- several organic spirits organic, but makes an effort to source its ingredients locally. For brands aiming for a duced liquor. American on the market. larger distribution base, a focus on how Harvest Organic Spirit, from Sidney ingredients are sourced can be a boon, as well. FAIR, as Frank Importing Company, for example, is an organic vodka infused with a proprietary blend of ingredients. the name suggests, specializes in certified fair-trade Not only is it organic, but the distillery supports renew- ingredients, such as goji berries from Tibet, coffee from able energy in the form of wind power; organic waste Mexico and quinoa from Bolivia. Because these are from the distillation process becomes cattle feed; and the sourced from small, independent farmers, they tend to be bottles are 100% recyclable, decorated with water-solu- grown sustainably, if not organically. ���Fair-trade ingredients are grown by farmers who ble varnishes. are dealing with the land on an individual basis. They ���For American Harvest, supporting organic growing practices is one way to support a sustainable future,��� are not mega farms that are growing products in the says Julie Byrne, brand manager at Sidney Frank. ���The least expensive way possible,��� says Jack Bays, president audience for organic products is more mainstream than of Bay Pac, which produces and markets FAIR. ���The you might think, as well as loyal and willing to invest in fact it���s sustainable or organic or fair trade gets people to purchase it, but they won���t continue to buy it unless products that they feel good about buying.��� Even brands thought of as conventional are investing it meets the quality of non-organic products.��� If ever there was a reason to invest in sustainable in green practices. Patr��n Tequila has long considered sustainability one of its core principles. It not only com- practices, the sustainability of one���s business is good posts its own organic waste ��� the spent agave fibers from one. Hippies may have started the green movement, the distillation process ��� but does so for neighboring dis- but it���s savvy and forward-thinking entrepreneurs who SW tilleries at no cost. It has also developed a reverse-osmosis will surely carry it into the mainstream. older or just more traditional consumers, he says, it���s a question of the wine trade better communicating issues of sustainability. When he first launched the business in 2008, retailers weren���t convinced they had a customer for his product. But the company has grown four-fold since its inception. Cain believes consumers are ���on board,��� and that it���s the retail business that has to catch up. ���At present, there is no legal term or official category for sustainable wine in the U.S.,��� says Allison Jordan, executive director of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, which provides third-party verification for wineries��� sustainability practices. ���Since sustainable is a relatively new concept, a regulated legal term may evolve as it becomes more mainstream��� Retailers have to be able to identify green wine.��� Identifying what���s green isn���t always obvious, either. Andy Mitchell, director of vineyard operations at Hahn Estates in Monterey, CA, believes that even organic farming has its pitfalls when it comes to sustainability: ���When you look at the carbon footprint, organic farming can require tractor work [instead of sprays for mildew], so you���re burning fossil fuels that go back to the ground.��� Hand harvesting of grapes is generally seen as more holitic than machine harvesting, but Mitchell claims that Hahn���s machines can be mounted with implements to take care of extra agricultural work as they pass through the field, further reducing fossil fuels and impact on the soil. S StateWays I www.stateways.com I March/April 2013 43

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• From the Editor
• Dateline
• Growth Brands
• Responsibility Initiatives
• Scotch
• Drink Green
• Products & Packaging