How far has your tipple travelled?

Published on Friday 11 January 2008 21:07

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WHEN it comes to going green, some things are more fun than others: lugging a month’s worth of newspapers to the paper bank in the rain as you rapidly turn into a living papier mch sculpture – horrible; wandering round your local farmers’ market enjoying free samples of homemade jam – lovely.

But while the increasing numbers of such local markets reflect our growing awareness of the impact of “food miles” and intensive farming processes on the environment, most of us give far less thought to the planet when it comes to our choice of tipple. You may have smuggly rejected Greek honey in favour of that made by busy Scottish bees, turned up your nose at strawberries in December, and vowed only to buy Scottish lamb, but if you wash it all down with a tasty little sauvignon imported from the other side of the world, are you undermining your own good intentions?

A “working paper” published last year by Tara Garnett of the Food Climate Research Network at the University of Surrey suggested the alcohol sector is responsible for around 1.5 per cent of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. It’s not the worst offender, but consider that an in-depth study of a small Italian winery, carried out in 2004, found that the production of just one bottle created put 16 grams of sulphur dioxide into the air – even before transportation. It really does all add up. In that particular case, a year’s vintage of 100,000 bottles generated ten tonnes (22,000 lbs) of plastic waste, five tonnes (11,000 lbs) of paper and huge amounts of waste water – quite an environmental hangover.

Brewing and distilling also create carbon emissions, are heavy on water and produce waste by-products. Volume by volume, spirits may produce more emissions than beer or wine, but of course we (generally) drink spirits in much smaller quantities, so “drink for drink” there is probably little to choose between them, suggests Garnett.

As for food – or in this case drink – miles, while it might make sense to choose wines from the south of England or France above those from Chile or New Zealand, in reality the new world wines have often been transported by sea, while the French ones generally come by road, making the difference between them in terms of transportation pollution smaller than one might imagine.

Confused? Even Friends of the Earth admit the issue of “green” alcohol is one that requires a great deal more research. It’s enough to make one reach for a stiff drink. Thankfully, here in Scotland, we have one great advantage when it comes to buying locally produced alcohol – our beloved whisky industry. The wealth of distilleries across our country has seen drinks giant Diageo focus its spirit production north of the Border. This means that when you buy big-name spirit brands including Smirnoff Vodka and Gordon’s Gin, you are actually buying products made and bottled in Fife. On top of that we have a wealth of independent breweries and small-scale producers of gin and other drinks.

Of course, if you want to keep it really local, you could always “make your own”. Modern housing arrangements may prevent most of us from growing our own vegetables or keeping chickens, but if you fancy a little Good Life self-sufficiency, there’s a wealth of internet sites selling all you need to make as much wine or beer as you could want.

For those not prepared to risk the “variable” taste and potency of DIY booze, there are some basic rules which can help you drink with a clearer conscience – if not a clear head: organic brands help cut pollution; buy as locally as possible; look out for ways of reducing packaging; and try to avoid ultra-chilled drinks, which need extra refrigeration.

Then go home, pour yourself a large one, and congratulate yourself on the fact you’re doing your bit to save the planet – just remember to take your empties to the bottle bank in the morning.

WINE

WINE consumption in the UK has risen dramatically in the past 25 years. The average adult’s annual consumption of wine is now just below 14 litres (three gallons), and that’s a lot of grape juice to be transported across the word, after all. Yet, however much the impact of global warming is beginning to make itself felt in the Scottish climate, we’re some way away from seeing rows of vines growing on the Grampian hills.

While many New World wines are shipped to the UK rather than flown, dramatically reducing their carbon impact, those that do come by plane from New Zealand/Australia are estimated to create 3,302kg of compared to 5kg of by those from the south of England, according to UK producers.

There are however a growing number of British-produced wines, many of which are starting to gain international recognition for their quality. We’re not just talking bramble and nettle here. Further south, hotter summers have seen the south of England’s grape-growing abilities blossom. Kent now has numerous small-scale wineries, including some organic ones, such as the one at Sedlescombe ( englishorganicwine.co.uk)

However it’s still a long way and a lot of fuel required to get from Kent to Kingussie. If you are prepared to keep an open mind when it comes to the fruit involved, and don’t insist on grapes, there a few Scottish winemakers. Producers Cairn O’Mohr, for example, make wines from fresh ingredients found growing locally in the Carse of Gowrie in Perthshire, including spring oak, elderberry and autumn leaf.

For more details visit www.cairnomohr.co.uk

WHISKY

WHEREVER you live in this country, it’s unlikely that you’re all that far from where the very water of life is being distilled to golden perfection. Of course, when anything becomes mass-produced there is likely to be environmental impact.

It is perfectly possible your nearest distillery has transported its produce half-way across the country for bottling and then on to some central warehouse and back again, before it reaches the shelves of your local supermarket. However, it is still very much a Scottish product, and even the bigger companies are beginning to take the issue of environmental impact more seriously. A spokesman for drinks giant Diageo, owner of whiskies including Talisker and Lagavulin, said the company is planning to reduce its carbon footprint through investing in a series of innovative projects aimed at converting waste produce from its distilleries into bioenergy.

There are also still a number of smaller-scale distilleries in operation including that at Benromach on Speyside. Handmade by just two men at Speyside’s smallest working distillery, Benromach Organic is the first bottled single-malt whisky released to be fully certified by the Soil Association.

Visit www.ben romach.com

BEER

WHEN it comes to choosing a local drink for local people, Scots need look no further than their nearest microbrewery.

Keeping production small, and often on-site in pubs, means real ale can claim environmentalist credentials in its fight back against the big-name and foreign lagers, says Colin Howden, ale enthusiast and director of sustainable transport body TRANSform Scotland.

Not only does localised production cut transportation pollution, but even the method of pouring can have less impact on the environment than the big name brands, explains Ken Davie , a director with the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). Although more common in England than in Scotland, hand-pumped beer requires only human energy and none of the gases required by other varieties. Neither do such pumps feature the advertising lights found on bigger-brand dispensers.

Real ale also tends to be served at “cellar temperature,” unlike most lager, which needs cooling. Environmentalists within the beer industry have expressed concern at an increasing trend for “supercooled” varieties of beer, which require considerable energy to keep them at lower temperatures.

There are hundreds of small-scale and microbreweries across Scotland, some of which produce organic ales. Drinkers who want to make the kindest choice should pick the one closest to them. Information can be found through your local CAMRA branch. Visit www.camra.org.uk to find yours, and a full listing of breweries is printed in the Good Beer Guide, available from CAMRA and bookshops.

SPIRITS

FOR those of you who prefer your spirits clear, there is a surprising number of drinks produced in Scotland one might initially believe come from elsewhere.

Smirnoff vodka, Gordon’s gin, even Archers schnapps, are all produced by Diageo in Fife and bottled just a mile along the road from the distillery. While they still chalk up a fair few miles getting from there to more distant parts of the country, it’s better than flying it in from, say, Russia.

For a more traditional source, Iceland’s eco-friendly Reyka. The name derives from the ancient Icelandic word for steam and the vodka is made in using geothermal energy. For gin lovers looking for something different, Scotland has specialist varieties including the distinctive Hendrick’s, which is distilled and bottled in Girvan, and Blackwood’s vintage dry gin, which is made use botanicals hand-picked on Shetland. Despite the clearly eco-friendly method of gathering the plants and a determination to be as environmentally friendly as possible, Robin Mouatt, customer services manager Blackwood, says big buyers could do more to help small firms meet their environmental aims, including relaxing delivery rules, to allow them to deliver their product to supermarket warehouses in smaller lorries, or even direct to stores.

HOMEBREW

IT’S ALL very well buying local, but even if your favourite drink is organic and comes in recycled packaging, the only way you can guarantee yours is truly “green” is to make it from ingredients you’ve picked yourself.

There are various kits available on the web for making beer and wine at home. Enthusiasts insist these kits are vast improvements on older versions, and indeed some seem to be so preprepared you need do little more than add water. There isn’t much info on the environmental impact of beermaking kits, although clearly you’re not leaving much of a carbon footprint walking from your kitchen to a keg in the airing cupboard.

If you are prepared to venture out into the countryside, nature’s larder offers an apparently endless supply of ingredients that can be turned into something guaranteed to add a little something to your life. From the tasty-sounding rosehips or elderberries to… spinach (yes, it’s true, visit homemadewine.net), you can make wine from pretty much any plant you fancy. For further information visit scottishamateurwinemakers.co.uk

In the UK there is no limit to how much fermented alcohol you are allowed to make at home (as long as you don’t sell it), although distilling is banned. If you want to try your hand at making the hard stuff, you’ll have to head to New Zealand where, since 1996, it has been legal to distil spirits for your own consumption.

For further inspiration visit www.selfsufficientish.com.

We have no idea what might happen, but at least your hangover will be tax and green-guilt free.