Saturday 9 April 2022

Mine's a - Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka - Yes please!



 AN ECO-friendly distillery near York hopes to take the drinks world by storm as its first spirit hits the shelves. The company is 20% employee-owned too. The brand’s ethos is built on two pillars: to make the best vodka in the most sustainable and ethical manner.

They had their London launch on Wednesday, April 6th and the All about London team were in attendance.

Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka has been certified carbon neutral since day one, also producing their own ethanol rather than buying in. The distillery is built on Ellers Farm, near Buttercrambe, with water sourced from the ground beneath it. 

The distiller, Jamie Baggot is a multiple award winner including winning Double Gold Best-in-the-World Vodka at the San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition in San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition in 2010.

All about London certainly enjoyed the launch and would highly recommend the drink and especially felt that the cocktails made the most of this new drink.








Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka

Sustainability Credentials

Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka is the first ever product to come out of Ellers Farm Distillery.

Produced with the aim of giving back more than it takes from the planet and its people, every decision the business makes balances impacts on people, planet, and profit.

Unique amber bottle packaging benefits:

·       Not only does the amber bottle guarantee shelf-standout, but it also comes with more benefits compared to the traditional clear bottle the category is known for.

·       The amber glass bottle contains over 60% recycled content, meaning fewer CO2 emissions as recycled glass melts at a lower temperature, so less energy is needed to melt it.

·       What’s more, making virgin glass releases CO2 in the process, while recycled glass releases no further carbon dioxide when it’s reprocessed.

·       The bottle is lighter than others available in the market, minimising the amount of energy needed to manufacture, transport, and recycle each bottle.

·       The colour itself is also backed by data. Research commissioned by Ellers Farm Distillery and conducted by the University of York’s Biorenewable Development Centre found that a number of the delicate ester compounds that give Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka its distinctive taste diminished when placed in a clear glass but did not when placed in equivalent amber glass samples.

 

Why Apples:

The team will be planting 5.6 acres of mixed native woodland and heritage apple orchard as well as just over one acre of wet grassland and wildflower meadow in the area surrounding the distillery.

Not only will this project deliver a supply of apples, the base raw material for the vodka, but it will decrease our supply chain transportation emissions as well as have a regenerative impact on the environment surrounding the distillery. 

Not only does vodka distilled from apples has a subtly unique flavour but orchards also positively contribute to the environment in the following ways: 

·       Soil health – when apples are harvested, the soil isn’t disturbed by tilling as it is in arable agricultural systems. Apple tree roots improve soil health by limiting soil erosion and improve soil’s ability to store and retain water and nutrients. Fallen leaf litter also contributes to the creation of new topsoil. Soil contains billions of bacteria, fungi and other microbes that are vital to soil fertility and ecosystem functioning – a single teaspoon of healthy soil contains more organisms than there are people in the world.  

·       Water regulation – trees help reduce the impacts of flood from storms by blocking and slowing down the flow of runoff. Trees are great at storing water in their branches, roots, and the soil surrounding them.  

·       Pollination – Apple trees in the UK can blossom from April to May, depending on the variety and provide valuable nectar to pollinators who are essential in pollinating our food crops, as well as for the survival of other wild plants that support so much of our wildlife. The intensification of agriculture has led to the destruction of habitat, and what is left is becoming increasingly fragmented. Further habitat loss is driven by urbanisation, and insect pollinators are also affected by the heavy use of pesticides and herbicides. Read more about the important role of pollinators here.  

·       Climate regulation – as trees grow, they store carbon in their branches, trunks, and roots as well as transferring carbon into the soil for storage. In one study of apple orchards in Hereford, 80 tonnes of carbon was estimated to be stored per hectare, with 75% of the total carbon stored in the soil beneath the trees.  

·       Biodiversity – traditional orchards, which incorporate different varieties of trees of different ages and plenty of rotting and dead wood that provides homes for various birds and insects are the most valuable for biodiversity; however, newer orchards still have a role to play in boosting biodiversity and attracting species that wouldn’t otherwise be present in a pasture or arable system.    

 

 

Ellers Farm Distillery is also part of the following initiatives:

 

·       Climate Pledge – Ellers Farm Distillery has committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions in the business by 2040. The Climate Pledge is a cross-sector community of companies and organisations, working together to crack the climate crisis and solve the challenges of decarbonising our economy. Amazon co-founded the Climate Pledge with Global Optimism in 2019 and became the first signatory of the pledge.

·       SME Climate Hub – the business has also committed to halve their greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and will achieve net zero by 2050 at the latest. The SME Climate Hub provides small and medium sized- businesses with a one-stop-shop to make an internationally recognized climate commitment, join the United Nations’ Race to Zero campaign, and access best-in-class tools and resources to mitigate their environmental impact and build resilient businesses for the future.           

·       ClimatePartner – In order to understand and take meaningful action on the business’ climate impact, Ellers Farm Distillery need to measure the carbon emissions associated with their business activities. The team worked with ClimatePartner to measure, forecast and verify their emissions for our first year of operations. Ellers Farm Distillery can now use this information to reduce its impact by sourcing alternative materials, suppliers, sources of energy or modes of transportation.