So you think your bar is sustainable, but what about the brands you sell? Ellen Manning explores the idea of an entirely B Corp back bar.
Once upon a time, showing that you value sustainability was a case of chucking the word around on social media for appearance’s sake. Now demonstrating that you’re taking it seriously means doing a bit more – and some might say nowhere needs it more than the drinks sector. With the onus on brands and bars to set higher standards, many are turning to B Corp accreditation. According to B Lab UK, there are over 120 B Corps in the drinks sector. And it doesn’t stop there, with Cambridge Public House in Paris becoming the world’s first bar to achieve B Corp certification earlier this year.
“In an industry that is resource intensive and has a history of poor labour practices, it is crucial that spirit brands step up to address these challenges,” Annie Olivier, head of growth at B Lab UK says. “By becoming a B Corp, spirit brands prioritise people and the planet alongside profit. They measure and improve their impact on their employees, customers, local communities and the environment while making a legal change to ensure this expanded duty of care is locked in for the future. This commitment to positive impact enables these brands to effectively communicate their purpose, and research has shown B Corps experience higher revenue growth, greater levels of employee retention and higher levels of innovation.”
But while we all might want to boast of a back bar that’s B Corp through and through, not every brand has embraced what some see as the bastion of sustainability. So, is it really possible to be a fully B Corp bar? Or have we all buried our heads in the sand of sustainability at the cost of stocking bars with decent spirits that simply taste great? Let’s look at whether you really can go 100% B Corp in your bar, or whether it’s a pipe dream that’s more sustainability-speak than substance.
Vodka
One of the basics of any back bar, you’ve got to have a vodka. And while you might have to look outside the box, there are plenty of B Corp possibilities. Award-winning B Corp distillery Ellers Farm in Yorkshire is behind several spirits including Dutch Barn Orchard vodka. Producers aside, Symposium Spirits carries the flag as the first UK spirits distributor to be B Corp, not just for its business, but for the brands it carries, including Respirited vodka, among others. Other vodka options include Jelley’s, Gattertop Drinks, and Sapling Spirits, which makes gin too.
Gin
Gin is no stranger to B Corp, but top of the list could include Boatyard and Sipsmith (both of which also produce vodka) as well as the Bruichladdich Distillery-produced Botanist and the Burgundian Renais. Northamptonshire-based Warners is also B Corp and says it’s part of its mission to become “the most nature-driven drinks business in the world”. Co-founder Tom Warner says: “Not many people know what B Corp is. We don’t do it for the consumer, we are very proud to be using business as a force for good in the world. We are just lovely people, trying to make amazing products, in balance with the world. B Corp is a framework to certify you are doing that.”
Beyond Warners, there are plenty of other gin choices, from East London’s 58 & Co to the Isle of Wight Distillery, famed for Mermaid gin. Then there’s Sacred Spirits, HG & Co, the company behind Hayman’s as well as Respirited vodka and Merser rums adding to your options. Other gin options include Psychopomp and Brockmans, as well as Quarter Light from Fraction Drinks.
Rum
Caribbean rum Duppy Share is on the B Corp list, while a UK choice would be Exeter-based Two Drifters Distillery, given it describes itself as the world’s first rum distillery to have a carbon negative footprint. And Hattiers rum is not only B Corp, but also shouts about being plastic-free, using 100% recyclable packaging, as well as giving 1% of its revenue directly to its partnered charities.
American whiskey
When it comes to bourbon the most obvious brand is Suntory Global Spirits-owned Maker’s Mark, which secured its B Corp status in January 2022 – thought to be the largest distillery in the world to have achieved the title at the time. Then, managing director Rob Samuels said: “Since 1953, my grandparents instilled a sense of responsibility here at Maker’s Mark that started with the way we make our bourbon and extended to the way we impact the lives of our teams, our customers, our communities and our shared environment.”
Scotch
The best known scotch to be B Corp would be Rémy Cointreau’s Bruichladdich. Scotch distillery Nc’Nean achieved B Corp status in February 2022 after becoming the first net zero whisky distillery in the UK in July 2021. There’s also North Uist Distillery, as well as Muckle Brig and honey whisky maker Beeble.
Tequila & mezcal
In 2022, Mijenta became the first tequila to achieve B Corp certification. Founded by ex-Bacardi chief executive Mike Dolan, the company boasts of carbon neutral products, as well as off setting almost 720,000kg of CO2 through a partnership with Climate Partner. And with mezcal important for most bars, Pensador is on the list after gaining B Corp status in 2023.
Brandy
Even brandy can be B Corp thanks to Avallen, a sustainable calvados brand that supports bee populations and is also a 1% For the Planet member.
Mixers
When we’re stocking our B Corp bar, we can’t forget the mixers. Lixir became the first premium brand to receive the accreditation in November 2022. It’s not alone, with Double Dutch boasting that it earned the certification on its first application, while Navas Drinks also features on B Lab’s list of certified beverages.
Low and no
No longer newcomers to the back bar, low and no have their place in a B Corp bar, thanks to the likes of London Botanical Drinks, the company behind Everleaf. There’s also Thomson & Scott, Pentire, Three Spirit, Caleño and Feragaia.
Other categories
When it comes to champagne, several houses have qualified to be in your fridges. Piper-Heidsieck, Charles Heidsieck and Rare champagnes hit the mark, as does Bollinger, so you can guarantee some guilt-free fi zz when it comes to sustainability. Compared to some of the more craft or artisan brands, you might not expect to find Baileys on your B Corp back bar. But think again. The brand became B Corp certified in October 2022 in what it calls the “proof in the pudding” of its commitment to treat itself, each other and the planet properly.
Aperitifs are big in B Corp, with brands including Botivo, Beehave and Cordusio all certified, while Icely Done, which boasts of being cocktails “made for the trade”, is also B Corp certified.
Suppliers
Symposium Spirits carries the fl ag as the first UK spirits distributor to be B Corp, not just for its business, but for the brands it carries, including Respirited vodka among others. Other B Corp suppliers include Charter Brands and the Whisky Stock, bringing sustainability to where you buy from, as well as what you carry.
With more and more brands pouring time, money and energy into this area, the days of the B Corp back bar are no longer the stuff of imagination. “It’s especially important for spirits as the drinks category in general often gets overlooked – you can go to a great gastropub that sources its meat from this producer and its veg from this producer and then the back bar is an afterthought,” says Warner. “The more we can make it front and centre for the category the more businesses and consumers will buy into it.” But it shouldn’t stop there, he adds. “It’s not just about the spirits industry, it should be all industry.”
In his view, the trend towards B Corp means it’s easier for brands to start with the framework from the get-go, rather than adapt to it once trading – in turn creating an “arms race” around ESG which means “there are no winners, just a constant improvement”.