Scottish pea-based vodka is saving carbon dioxide emissions

A distillery has formulated a sustainable vodka which it claims saves more than 1.5kg of carbon dioxide emissions per bottle by utilising garden peas.

Arkbikie Distillery, in Arbroath, Angus, launched its Nàdar vodka - which is Gaelic for nature - as part of its climate-positive range on World Sustainable Spirits Day.

Arbikie says the use of peas avoids the need for synthetic fertiliser and reliance on imported protein for animal feed.

The company said: “Turning peas into alcohol is no different than any other raw material, and simply involves taking the starch component then breaking it down and fermenting it into alcohol.

"Following the first distillation, which separates out the alcohol from everything else, we are left with something known as ‘pot ale’.

"Pot ale can have a number of fates from anaerobic digestion, a natural fertiliser or as an animal feed.

“The use of peas versus cereals increases the protein content of the pot ale making it even more suitable as an animal feed. Ultimately it could help Europe become more protein self-sufficient and address food security challenges."

Speaking to Insider, master distiller Kirsty Black said: "By shifting our focus to climate change and biodiversity loss we not only want to minimise our impact on the environment but also inspire and demonstrate to others the potential options available and how they might take advantage of these challenges.”

Ms Black created the climate-positive spirit after five years of thorough research with scientists at Abertay University and the James Hutton Institute in Scotland.

The single-estate distiller controls the growing, distilling and bottling process, and stated that eliminating the need for synthetic fertiliser, and reducing the UK’s reliance on imported protein for animal feed, helped to result in a carbon saving of over 1.53 kg CO2e per bottle.

Iain Stirling, the distillery director, said: “Arbikie is focused on becoming one of the world’s most sustainable distilleries [and] as both farmers and distillers we are in an ideal position to grow and distil our family of sustainable spirits.”

He added: “Sustainable products, particularly in the area of food and drink, are undoubtedly the future, and they will be the major economic driving force in the years to come, not just in Scotland, but across the world.”

In February this year, the distillery launched a similarly climate-positive gin, which actively went beyond achieving net-zero carbon emissions.

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