What is the Most Sustainable Alcohol Choice – and Why?

In the world of beverages, alcohol often takes center stage, whether it’s a refreshing beer after a long day or a celebratory glass of wine. However, the production and consumption of alcohol can have a significant environmental impact. Everything from growing the ingredients to the production process can increase an alcohol’s environmental impact. Some types of alcohol are worse than others, and it begs the question – which is the most sustainable?

Of course, every brewery, distillery, and winery is different in how they source ingredients, produce, and package alcohol. While we might say overall, wine falls somewhere in the middle when considering sustainability, there might be a hyper-sustainable, independent winery that considers the environment every step of the way. There will always be exceptions to general rules and averages.

And now, here are some factors that influence an alcohol’s environmental impact:

Choosing ingredients

To consider the sustainability of alcohol, consider what it’s made from. Grapes, wheat, hops, sugar cane, and potatoes are just a few popular ingredients used in making alcohol. All of these were grown, harvested, transported, and processed. Consider how the ingredients were grown – conventionally in monoculture operations? Organically? Regeneratively?

For example, rum is made from sugar cane, which is a water-intensive crop typically grown conventionally in high yield operations due to it’s global high demand. Sugar cane is often destructive to soil and surrounding local ecosystems. As a result: rum is not the most sustainable alcohol option.

The production process

To produce alcohol, ingredients must be blended, mashed, crushed, or stomped together. Some are then filtered and refined. Some are refined and distilled multiple times until you eventually end up with a completely clear alcohol. Hard alcohol, like whiskey, tequila, and vodka, are more highly processed than wine and beer; meaning they use more energy and heat to produce.

Beyond the beverage: Packaging matters

While the choice of alcohol itself plays a crucial role in sustainability, packaging also bears significant weight. Opt for beverages packaged in easily recyclable materials, such as aluminum cans. These are also light and reduce transportation emissions – aluminum can also be infinitely recycled and it is cheap to do so. Glass can be recycled of course, but it is heavy to transport; some alcohol companies are opting to use recycled glass bottles over using virgin glass, which is more ideal. Paper bottles, a light and low impact option, are also an emerging option for wine and spirits.

Transportation considerations

Transportation, particularly air freight, can substantially increase the environmental impact of alcohol. However, this is not the most common option because it is the most expensive option – transportation via sea freight is much more popular and have relatively low carbon emissions. Prioritize locally or domestically produced beverages to reduce the distance traveled, minimizing the carbon footprint associated with transportation. And with that being said…

Local is key

The most sustainable approach to alcohol consumption is to support local producers and enjoy your beverage at the source. This means walking or biking to your local brewery, winery, cidery, or distillery, savoring your drink “for here”. By eliminating transportation and packaging waste, you’re reducing the environmental footprint of your alcoholic indulgence.

Now, for two of the most sustainable alcohols…

Cider: The sustainable champion

Cider, produced from the juices of pressed apples, emerges as the frontrunner in sustainable alcohol options. Apple trees are perennials, which means they can be harvested year after year without being cut down and damaging soil health. Because apple trees stay in the soil for many years, their roots have the ability to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Tree crops like apple trees are often better for the local ecosystem than annuals like wheat and corn because again, they stay rooted in the same place for many years.

Cider doesn’t require a ton of water because it’s made from apple juice. It also shouldn’t require added sugar because apple juice has plenty of it – so the only ingredients really should be apple juice and yeast.

The processing is minimal – apples must be juiced, and then mixed with yeast and fermented.

Additionally, many cider producers naturally opt for lighter packaging in aluminum cans.

Mead: A sweet, eco-choice

Mead, a honey-based wine, stands as another sustainable option. Honey production, when practiced sustainably and with the well-being of bees in mind, can be an environmentally positive endeavor. It can support healthy populations of bees – which are of course incredibly necessary to pollinate 80% of flowering crops and 130 fruits and vegetables.

Mead is made up of only honey, water, and yeast – the ingredients and the processing of mead is relatively simple, minimizing its environmental footprint. Honey is not a plant crop – it requires no environmental manipulation nor soil disruption.

The one downside of mead is that it is often packaged in a heavy glass bottle, which can add to transportation emissions. Session meads, which are lower percentage and similar to a light beer or cider, come packaged in cans, so this can be a more environmentally friendly option.

This article pulls content from the upcoming book, “Eat for the Earth: A Beginner’s Guide to Eating Sustainably”. It will be released early 2024 and is available for pre-order now. Learn more about the book here.