Pioneering Sustainability Initiatives Introduced by Sombra Mezcal, a Sustainable Spirit/RNN

Over the past two months, we've done some great shows on improvements within the wine, beer, distill business.  All sorts of innovation is working into bottling, packaging, thickness of glass, recycling of all material, etc.  

We love bringing you stories of individual paths to green.  Here's one on Sombra.  See more at RNN:

Sombra Mezcal, a spirit distilled to sustain the land and the people of Oaxaca, announces a three-phase environmental consciousness-raising movement. The first phase shares its cutting-edge environmental practices with the Mezcal and spirits industry. The second enlists the support of the U.S. bartending community through its first sustainable cocktail competition, which will be conducted virtually to minimize its carbon footprint. The third energizes consumers to become active stewards of the planet.

Sombra Mezcal has been committed to sustainability from its creation in 2006. Its recently-opened distillery in Oaxaca puts into practice over a decade’s worth of research and insights from the field to the bottle. The three phase movement is a call to action to fellow producers, conscientious bartenders and consumers who love fine spirits and care about the environment.

Phase 1: “Distill to Sustain the Land and the People” Initiative Shares Environmental Insights and Practices

The first phase of the movement, “Distill to Sustain the Land and the People,” now rolling out, showcases Sombra Mezcal’s pioneering work in sustainability at its new distillery (palenque). The company recently shared specific production practices that safeguard Oaxaca, its land and the palenque’s artisans.

These include using organic agaves, solar power instead of animal drudgery, sustainable wood to prevent deforestation, rainwater to minimize municipal resources and transforming harmful distillery waste into compost for farmers and adobe bricks for local construction. It also includes harnessing clean-burning natural gas to fire its stills, thereby shielding its artisans from injurious wood smoke....