If you're looking for eco-friendly spirits, then Aspen Vodka may be the brand for you. In a press release, the distillery announced an incredible milestone: a LEEDv4 BD+C Platinum certification.
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a rating system created by the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council.
It's designed to help buildings and facilities meet six goals, according to the website: "Reduce contribution to global climate change, enhance individual human health, protect and restore water resources, protect and enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services, promote sustainable and regenerative material cycles, and enhance community quality of life."
To do that, the LEED rating system encompasses a wide range of building features, including insulation, energy efficiency, water use, and how much a building contributes to air pollution. Platinum is the highest level of certification achievable.
That makes it even more remarkable that Aspen Vodka is the first LEEDv4 Platinum-certified distillery in the world. It's one of three U.S. distilleries with any LEED certification at all and one of three buildings of all kinds in Colorado with a Platinum certification, according to the company's press release.
"We are incredibly proud to lead the industry with our ambitious and innovative environmental practices," founder Matthew Patel said. "Producing a luxury vodka with unrivaled quality, at the world's cleanest distillery sets a new benchmark for sustainability. Our LEEDv4 BD+C Platinum certification is a testament to our commitment to excellence in both quality and environmental stewardship, and we hope to inspire our industry peers to elevate their sustainability efforts."
Aspen Vodka reached this benchmark by creating a distillery where every element works together toward sustainability goals. Through onsite and offsite solar power, the facility generates more clean energy than it uses, per the press release. It treats its own wastewater so it can be returned to the Roaring Fork River cleaner than when it was taken out. Even the land around the distillery has been cleaned up and rehabilitated after its former use as a lumber yard, making the entire project a net positive for the environment.
"LEED certification is the ultimate recognition of global green building leadership, signaling that a space has undergone rigorous third-party verification and meets the highest green building standards," said Peter Templeton, president and CEO of USGBC.
That puts Aspen Vodka at the head of the pack in eco-friendly vodka.
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