Green whisky? Scottish distillery tests eco-friendly aluminium bottles

"Whisky drinkers and tourists are often bewitched by the amber rows of malt whisky that line the shelves of Scotland's bars, restaurants and hotels. So proposals from one of Scotland's smallest distilleries could be viewed by many as heresy. Stirling Distillery, which sits under the city's castle walls only a few miles from the site of the battle of Bannockburn, is testing whether it can sell its small batch malt whisky in aluminium, as it tries to become more sustainable and lower its carbon emissions."

"Aluminium is one of the most ubiquitous materials in the food and drinks industry, holding soft drinks, baked beans, takeaway meals and chill-at-home cocktails. It is also inching its way into the alcohol trade a few vodka and gin suppliers offer aluminium bottles. But until now it has been shunned by whisky distillers, who heavily promote claims about tradition, provenance and aesthetics. Whisky enthusiasts who often pay upwards of 100 a bottle are also thought to be too conservative to shift."

"Stirling is working with scientists at the UK's only university department that specialises in both brewing and distillery research, at Heriot-Watt on the outskirts of Edinburgh, to test whether aluminium bottles are safe. Kathryn Holm, the marketing director for Stirling Distillery, believes younger consumers, fewer of whom now drink alcohol, could be motivated by promises of far better green credentials."

Stirling Distillery, located beneath Stirling Castle near Bannockburn, is trialling aluminium bottles for its small-batch malt whisky to reduce carbon emissions and improve sustainability. Aluminium already dominates many food and drink containers and is beginning to appear in some spirits, though whisky producers traditionally avoid it because of provenance, tradition and aesthetic claims. Glass bottles contribute substantially to carbon footprints due to their weight; a full-size glass bottle can weigh about as much as the whisky it contains. Aluminium bottles can be up to 90% lighter, easier to recycle, cheaper to ship and allow customisation such as engraving for limited editions. Stirling is collaborating with Heriot-Watt's brewing and distillery research department to test safety.

Read at www.theguardian.com