Introducing the World’s First Climate-Positive Gin

Scottish alcohol producer Arbikie Distillery has launched the world’s first climate-positive gin, using peas as the base ingredient instead of cereals such as grain, maize or barley. The ‘field-to-bottle’ gin produces -1.54kg of CO2 per year, thanks to the nitrogen-fixing properties of peas.
Nàdar Gin uses peas grown organically without the use of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers – the runoff of which can often damage local waterways. In addition, peas also have the ability to sequester large amounts of nitrogen from the air into the soil, boosting soil fertility.
Whilst the distillery currently sources its peas from its own estate in Scotland, it plans to extend its production to include low-grade peas discarded from other local farms to avoid them ending up in landfill.
This product launch comes at a seminal time in food and drink production, as consumers are becoming increasingly aware of their ‘soil footprint’. See our report How Soil Will Save the World for a comprehensive look at how big brands are aligning themselves with regenerative soil processes. You can also listen to our podcast on the same topic, which teases out further commercial opportunities for responsibly minded brands.
The distillery also produces vodka and gin using potatoes from its farm deemed too imperfect for sale in supermarkets. For more on how spirits brands are putting sustainability at the heart of product development, read Alcohol Trends 2019: Imbibe Live and Rum Made of Banana Skins.
See also Reframing Rare and New Food Covetables for a deeper look at the notion of luxury in food and drink.