Meath distillery planting 2,000 trees to offset barrel use

Boann distillers Colm O'Sullivan and Ludovic Delamar on the Preston family estate in Co Meath as the planting of 2,000 oak and native broadleaf trees begins to offset barrel usage by the Drogheda-based distillery.

A total of 1,000 oak and 1,000 native broadleaf trees are being grown in Meath’s Preston estate

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Staff at a Co. Meath distillery are helping to plant 2,000 trees as part of a groundbreaking sustainability drive.

Family-run drinks firm Boann is getting into the environmental spirit with a major green initiative to offset the use of wooden barrels to age its whiskey.

A total of 1,000 oak and 1,000 native broadleaf trees are being grown in Meath’s Preston estate, whose family have historic links to the world famous Preston’s of Drogheda, Co. Louth – operators of a whiskey bonding business for almost a century from 1886.

What’s more, the planting is set to become an annual initiative.

Only three to four barrels can be made from a suitable tree and Boann lays down 6,000 barrels annually to allow its whiskey to mature.

“We choose to work only with coopers that source their wood from sustainable sources,” said Sally Anne Cooney, co-founder and sustainability lead at Boann Distillery, based outside Drogheda.

“Cask maturation is an essential part of the whiskey making process. We cask our newmake spirit into oak barrels from around the world and this new planting of trees will contribute to close the loop on our barrel sustainability programme in the new circular economy, while also helping to reduce our carbon footprint into the future.

“This is the start of ongoing plans to make a more sustainable distilling future for Irish whiskey,” she added. “We are a family business and look to the long term in everything we do, protecting the environment for the next generation is paramount.”

The Meath distillery aims to plant a further 2,000 trees annually in the coming years, all of which will be protected and allowed to grow to maturity.

Boann has already been rewarded for its environmental activities  – becoming the first distillery in Ireland to be awarded Bord Bia Origin Green Gold member status in 2020.

Reducing water usage, moving to exclusively renewable energy sources, rainwater harvesting and supporting local grain supply are some of the key measures it is adopting to promote sustainability within the industry.

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