Boatyard Distillery gains B Corp certification

Gin and vodka producer Boatyard has become the first Irish distillery to earn B Corp certification.

The Northern Ireland-based distillery ‘excelled’ in meeting each B Corp standard, receiving a score of 92 points, with the minimum required for a pass set at 80.

The company said this is a new step towards the brand’s ethical, sustainable, and environmentally conscious mission.

Boatyard’s CEO Joe McGirr commented: “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”.

In addition, the distillery is releasing its Boatyard Double Gin and Boatyard Vodka Eco in 2.8-litre refill pouch formats in the UK, which is equivalent to four 700ml bottles.

Available via distributor Speciality Brands, the pouches are primarily aimed at cocktail bars and restaurants.

The 100% recyclable pouches reduce packaging by 84%, and bring carbon emissions from 9.8kg to 3.96kg.

The brand will also provide free post returns, allowing clients to drop empty pouches into Royal Mail post boxes to be sent back to the distillery to be recycled via Terracycle.

Declan McGurk, commercial director for Boatyard Distillery, 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 that allows customers to bring bottles back to the distillery for refilling.

In October, Irish cream liqueur Baileys became the largest spirit brand to achieve B Corp certification.