The Boatyard Distillery gains B-Corp certification

Irish spirits maker, The Boatyard Distillery, has announced it has earned B-Corporation certification.

In a new step towards the brand’s ethical, sustainable, and environmentally conscious mission, it received a score of 92 points, with 80 points being the minimum required for a pass.

Boatyard’s CEO, Joe McGirr, said: “Achieving B-Corp status is a real testament to our team relentlessly looking at ways we can have a positive impact on our environment. The process took over a year of intense examination into our business so we’re really excited and proud to be the first distillery on the island of Ireland to become part of this global movement”.

The Boatyard Distillery is also releasing Boatyard Double Gin and Boatyard Vodka Eco Refill pouches in the UK as the two spirits will now be available in 2.8L format, equivalent to four 70cl bottles. 

Available via distributor Speciality Brands, the pouches are aimed at cocktail bars and restaurants primarily. The 100% recyclable pouches reduce packaging by 84% and bring carbon emissions from 9.8kg to 3.96kg. They also include freepost, so once empty they can be dropped into Royal Mail post boxes and sent back to the distillery where they will be recycled via Terracycle. 

Declan McGurk, Boatyard Distillery commercial director, said: “More and more bar and restaurant partners are becoming sustainably minded and we want to support this. Our pouches offer increased capacity at a lower price point. It’s a win-win for everyone and a step forward to continue eliminating needless waste.”

The launch is the latest in a range of initiatives undertaken at The Boatyard Distillery in the last year including efforts to eliminate single-use glass bottles in its visitor centre and a bottle refill programme, ‘Eco Refill Station’, allowing customers to bring bottles back to the distillery for refilling.