The International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) has awarded its inaugural Green Spirit Initiative Award to Four Pillars at a gala ceremony in London overnight.
This award, which is open to every distillery, producer or spirits company across the globe, was created to highlight the work being carried out to improve environmental credentials.
The IWSC said: “The IWSC’s Green Spirit Initiative award has been created to recognise the multitude of considerate distillation and spirit production practices underway across the world. We want to highlight the impressive work being carried out by distilleries, producers, and spirit companies already on the journey toward improving their environmental credentials.
“This trophy was open to all international spirits producers setting the standard for more considered spirit making practices.”
The Four Pillars distillery in Healesville was awarded the prize as a result of concerted efforts over recent years, and particularly with the construction of the newly-expanded distillery ‘Healesville 2.0’, to minimise waste, save energy, and tread more lightly on the planet.
Some of the green initiatives at the distillery include saving 80,000 litres of water a day through a passive water cooling system and copper veil around the distillery; saving 800kg of glass a week by serving drinks and gin on tap; turning oranges steamed in distillation in marmalade; and running the new site in 100 per cent renewable energy.
In addition as well as all its packaging being recyclable, Four Pillars is a certified carbon neutral business, with both the new distillery itself and all the gins bottled on the premises, certified Carbon Neutral.
The Trophy was accepted by Four Pillars Co-Founder and Distiller, Cameron Mackenzie, and Four Pillars Operations Director, Michelle Hall, at the gala awards night in London.
“This is a huge day for Four Pillars, and in so many ways one of the proudest days in our short history,” Mackenzie said.
“When we started making gin in 2013 we always wanted to be as sustainable as we could but distilling uses a lot of energy, glass and waste, we recognise that.
“But over the past three years and most particularly with the brilliant work from Michelle with help from the sustainability team at Lion, our incredible architects Breathe, and just sheer inventiveness and willpower, we have arrived here.
“In many ways we want this to be an award not just for us but for the whole of Australian distilling. If we have the desire, resourcefulness and belief we can become a really responsible and environmentally friendly industry that also happens to make the world’s best drinks.
“I would also like to give a shout out to the other five finalists all with brilliant initiatives.”