Whether you are a liberal sipper like Bella Hadid or a big party chugger that would make Charlie Sheen blush, imbibing a few tipples can either be a sophisticated activity or a big part of your social experience.
Like many other mass-consumed products, the process of creating each drink can often be questionable when it comes to environmental friendliness. Those who would like to toast less global warming and more bottle popping have opted for eco-friendly drinking.
As the name suggests, these are beverages made with consideration of the effect they have on the environment. The Upcycler's Lab identifies three important elements when it comes to beverages:
- Materials — Ingredients used to make the beverage, type of packaging for the product, and how it is packaged for shipping.
- Production — The type and frequency of energy used, water usage and waste management.
- Transportation — Increased production of fuel, refrigeration equipment and emissions.
Like any other product, eco-friendly alcohol requires transparency on these elements from the brand you are buying. Luckily, there are a number of local breweries who strive to be more sustainable.
The Cape Saint Blaize offerings, which include a gin-making experience, are made from a four-step process of clay moulds that they encourage buyers to reuse. Cape Town's 2018 drought inspired Khanya Mncwabe to create Matawi Mead, a sustainable gin, liqueur and beer. They use organic honey that uses 90% less water than the average products. Mncwabe told News24 that they source exclusively from small-scale producers, a method that does not plunder resources but instead is built around creating products for what one needs.
“We've really spent the time to build up Matawi's understanding that it's about partnering with co-operatives, making sure that they are capacitated ... and [we] aim to pay a fair market price, so we know we're appealing to a conscious consumer,” she said.
Making the process a little easier, Upcycler's Lab has produced a list comparing beverages and what makes them more sustainable.
Eco-friendly drinking explained: can your drinking habits reverse global warming?
The new trend is pushing drinkers to consider the environmental impact when buying their beloved beverages
Image: Devon McAlpine
Whether you are a liberal sipper like Bella Hadid or a big party chugger that would make Charlie Sheen blush, imbibing a few tipples can either be a sophisticated activity or a big part of your social experience.
Like many other mass-consumed products, the process of creating each drink can often be questionable when it comes to environmental friendliness. Those who would like to toast less global warming and more bottle popping have opted for eco-friendly drinking.
As the name suggests, these are beverages made with consideration of the effect they have on the environment. The Upcycler's Lab identifies three important elements when it comes to beverages:
Like any other product, eco-friendly alcohol requires transparency on these elements from the brand you are buying. Luckily, there are a number of local breweries who strive to be more sustainable.
The Cape Saint Blaize offerings, which include a gin-making experience, are made from a four-step process of clay moulds that they encourage buyers to reuse. Cape Town's 2018 drought inspired Khanya Mncwabe to create Matawi Mead, a sustainable gin, liqueur and beer. They use organic honey that uses 90% less water than the average products. Mncwabe told News24 that they source exclusively from small-scale producers, a method that does not plunder resources but instead is built around creating products for what one needs.
“We've really spent the time to build up Matawi's understanding that it's about partnering with co-operatives, making sure that they are capacitated ... and [we] aim to pay a fair market price, so we know we're appealing to a conscious consumer,” she said.
Making the process a little easier, Upcycler's Lab has produced a list comparing beverages and what makes them more sustainable.
Alcohol sustainability guide:
1. Wine
Wine does not require a lot of heat or water during production and distilling. It can also be packaged in other recyclable materials besides glass. Most revered wines are shipped from all around the world which plays a part in higher fuel emissions.
2. Whiskey
Larger brands typically look to top-notch techniques that prioritise less waste in the process. Some independent makers tend to use old-fashioned equipment and outdated practices that might waste more energy and cause more harm to the environment. Make sure to be informed on the process.
3. Beer
Notorious for being a high-volume alcohol beverage, beer production can contribute negatively on the the environment. Sustainable brands curb the brewing and packaging issues that come with beer by looking into how each company commits to eco-friendly processes.
4. Vodka & Gin
The two beverages also require mass amounts of energy to produce, make sure to find out how efficient is each brand to using better energy sources or how they source from locally grown crops.
5. Tequila
To find out if your preferred tequila is environmentally friendly, look to the company's commitment to waste management. For every litre of tequila made, more than 4kg of pulp and acid waste are produced.
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