Bulleit Frontier Whiskey and American Forests are extending their partnership by committing to planting and restoring 2.5 million white oak trees by 2026. These trees will help replenish the natural white oak resource that is necessary for the creation of whiskey barrels, and will also help combat the effects of climate change by removing carbon, purifying air and conserving water.
In 2020, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey and American Forests announced their partnership with a goal of planting and restoring one million white oak trees in five years. In 2022, the brands announced that they had hit their target three years ahead of schedule.
Based on American Forests’ estimates, once the 2.5 million trees are matured they will approximately*:
- Restore nearly 1,825 acres of trees.
- Store approximately 217,265 metric tons of carbon dioxide in their roots, stems, and trunks. This is equivalent to storing the emissions from nearly 24,447,559 gallons of gasoline or storing the annual energy emissions from around 27,383 American homes.
- Remove an estimated 120,321 pounds of air pollutants from the air per year. This is equivalent to removing around 1,626 cars from the road every year.
- Capture and filter roughly 93,440,121 million gallons of water per year, or an estimated 142 Olympic swimming pools.
Beyond replenishing resources, Bulleit is dedicated to being sustainable by design, meaning actively identifying opportunities to improve sustainable practices throughout its business. This includes hosting events that feature reclaimed furniture pieces and that partner with food composting organizations, to upcycling barrels to craft barrel-aged beers.
“Every month is Earth Month at Bulleit Frontier Whiskey,” said Sophie Kelly, Diageo Senior Vice President of North American Whiskeys Portfolio. “Year-round we remain dedicated to replenishing the materials we use for the creation of our whiskeys, and supporting the communities in which we operate. Our ongoing partnership with American Forests continues to reflect our environmental standards, and we are so excited about the significant impact we’ve been able to make together.”
Since 1875, American Forests has been instrumental in addressing two of the most pressing environmental issues of the day: slowing climate change and advancing social equity. American Forests championed the creation of the U.S. Forest Service, and persuaded Congress to provide stable funding for fighting and preventing forest fires.
“For three years, Bulleit has been an incredible partner to American Forests, committing to planting and restoring one million trees and helping to bring Tree Equity to cities around the country,” said Jad Daley, President and Chief Executive Officer of American Forests. “This new commitment to planting and restoring a total of 2.5 million trees by 2026 will enable us to reforest large swaths of land at an even greater scale, helping to restore ecosystems and sequester and store carbon in forests for generations.”
*This data is based off of an estimate by American Forests based on previous plantings, average trees planted per acre and a 50 year outlook on carbon.
About Bulleit Frontier Whiskey
Bulleit, founded in 1987, is one of the fastest-growing whiskeys in America. The brand attributes that growth to bartenders and cultural partners who have adopted it as their own. The Bulleit Frontier Whiskey portfolio is distilled and aged in the Bulleit family tradition, using a distinctive high rye recipe, which gives them a bold, spicy, yet distinctively smooth taste. The award-winning Kentucky whiskey most recently won a Double Gold medal for Bulleit 10 Year Old and Gold Medals for Bulleit Bourbon and Bulleit Rye at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. In 2017, Bulleit celebrated its 30th anniversary with the opening of a new, state-of-the-art distillery located in Shelbyville, KY. Constructed with a focus on sustainable practices including natural habitat protection, water conservation and local ingredient sourcing, BDC received the Highly Commended award for Sustainable Distillery of the Year at the 2020 Icons of Whisky Awards from Whisky Magazine. In 2019, a Visitor’s Centre at the Bulleit Distilling Co. in Shelbyville opened to share our modern, technological and sustainable approach to making great whiskey. In 2021, Diageo opened its first carbon neutral whiskey distillery in Lebanon, KY with Bulleit being the first and leading brand being produced at the site. supplementing existing production at the Bulleit Distilling Co.
About Diageo North America
Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit and Buchanan’s whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Casamigos, DeLeon and Don Julio tequilas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Tanqueray and Guinness. Diageo is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: DGE) and their products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world.
About American Forests
American Forests are driven by the power of forests. They are instrumental to addressing two of the most pressing issues of the day: slowing climate change and advancing social equity. Forests also provide habitat for wildlife and a clean, abundant supply of water for people. Since our founding in 1875, American Forests has been the pathfinders for creating healthy forests from coast to coast. For example, we championed creation of the U.S. Forest Service and have persuaded Congress to provide stable funding for fighting and preventing forest fires. Our deep knowledge of forests and track record of collaboration position us to build a reforestation movement in America. From cities to large natural landscapes, we create healthy and resilient forests that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water and wildlife. We advance our mission through forestry innovation, place-based partnerships to plant and restore forests, and movement building. American Forests envisions a world in which the significant environmental, societal, and economic benefits of forests are fully realized and equitably available to all people.
For More Information:
https://www.bulleit.com/