It is self-evident that whisky cannot be made without grains—whether corn, rye, or barley. Water and yeast too is obviously critical in its creation. But less talked about is the fact that whisky literally cannot be created without trees as well. One up and coming Californian whisky brand, Redwood Empire, just restored one million trees back to their natural environment.
“The Redwood Empire is named after a 420 mile coastal stretch that lies between Monterey Bay and the Southern Oregon border. It is the only place on earth where the venerable and mighty coastal redwoods grow and flourish,” says Derek Benham, founder of the Sonoma County-based Purple Brands which started Redwood Empire in 2015. “Sadly, 95% of the original ancient forest was harvested and never reseeded.”
The Redwood Empire Distillery sits amongst the grandeur of these redwood trees in buildings that originally housed an apple canning and processing plant. Taking inspiration from John Muir, the so-called “Father of National Parks,” from the beginning Redwood Empire wanted their brand to co-exist peacefully amongst man and nature.
“Not just a product of its environment, it’s a part of it,” is the company’s motto.
Muir, an ecological thinker and environmental advocate during the late 19th and early 20th century, advocated preserving America’s wilderness. With this inspiration, in 2019 Redwood Empire decided to commit their profits to adding trees back to this world.
“Redwood Empire Distillery set out a few years ago to give back to the earth by planting a tree for every bottle of its whiskey sold,” explains Benham.
This program is done in partnership with Trees For the Future, a NGO responsible for planting over 250 million trees since 1989. Whenever customers buy any of Redwood Empire’s premium, handcrafted whiskey—each named after iconic redwoods like Pipe Dream Bourbon Whiskey, Emerald Giant Rye Whiskey, and Lost Monarch, a blend—they plant another tree. With an initial goal to plant 500,000 trees by the summer of 2022, as the summer of 2023 arrives, they have now reached one million trees planted.
“That’s the equivalent of sixty Central Parks!” says Benham. This incredible accomplishment has restored 250 acres of degraded farmland, sequestered 36,160 metric tons of CO2 over the next twenty years, and put 2,000 people on a pathway toward saving them from hunger and poverty.
It’s clear, more trees means a better planet for all of us. But, it also means more barrels that can one day be used to make more whisky. A win-win for sure.
Says Derek Benham: “This is the first of many milestones with more to come, many thanks to our supporters. Drink Among Giants!”
