Why Bacardi Trust Cork To Bottle Up Angel’s Envy® Bourbon

20 Sep 2016

While the heart of Angel’s Envy® is rooted in Kentucky bourbon, its taste is a bit more international. Specifically, Portugal. Portugal is the source of the port casks that give its whiskey its subtle and distinctive flavors. But Angel’s Envy, a Bacardi-owned brand, as well as many other wines and spirits in the Bacardi portfolio including its line of single malts and blended Scotch whiskies, D’usse® and Baron Otard® cognacs, and Martini® sparkling wines, owe Portugal a debt of gratitude for another surprisingly important contribution: cork.

Roughly half of the world’s cork comes from Portugal, and it’s one of the more sustainable materials on the planet. The trees, a subspecies of oak, live up to 300 years, and cork can be harvested from each tree every nine years once it reaches the age of 25. Harvesting occurs between the months of May and August when the cork can be removed from the trunk of the tree without permanently harming it. Cork forests provide a unique biodiversity to their regions, and many animals (and people) rely upon them for their survival.

Cork has many other uses: building material, shoe soles—it’s even used as insulation throughout spacecraft and can shield the crew from incredibly high temperatures. But even with all of these applications, 60% of all cork still goes into making bottle stoppers. As a bottle stopper, cork’s impermeability and elasticity make it ideal as a reusable stopper. And it’s eco-friendlier than plastic or metal alternatives. Angel’s Envy puts a lot of thought into every aspect of its bottle, but for the brand, Portuguese cork was the obvious choice.

Since 2006, when Bacardi began tracking its global impact on the environment, it has improved both water use efficiency and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity ratio by 46%. Building on current programs and efficiencies that reduce its environmental impacts, the Bacardi Limited “Good Spirited” sustainability program sets specific goals in three areas to help the Company reach its vision of a net zero impact:

Responsible Sourcing: Bacardi strives to obtain all raw materials and packaging from sustainably sourced, renewable or recycled materials while maintaining or enhancing the economic status of growers and suppliers. By 2017, the goal is to obtain 40% of the sugarcane-derived products used to make its rum from certified, sustainable sources – and 100% by 2022. This pledge from Bacardi is an industry first.

Global Packaging: Bacardi commits to use eco-design to craft sustainability into its brand packaging and point-of-sale materials. By 2017, Bacardi plans to reduce the weight of its packaging by 10% and achieve 15% by 2022.

Operational Efficiencies: Bacardi continues to focus on reducing water use and GHG emissions with a 2017 goal to cut water use by 55% and GHG emissions by 50%. Also, Bacardi aims to eliminate landfill waste at all of its production sites by 2022. To learn more about Bacardi Limited and its “Good Spirited: Building a Sustainable Future” environmental initiative for sourcing, packaging and operational efficiencies across the entire Bacardi family of premium spirits and wine brands, visit bacardilimited website.

Source: Bacardi