Extracting the Benefits of Sustainability
Head north a mile or so past the bustling village of North Conway, and it’s hard not to be inspired by the unfettered view of the world-class climbing sanctuary of Cathedral Ledge. Nestled just off the west side of the White Mountain Highway–in the shadow of that iconic panoramic–is a timber-framed barn that will also stir your spirits. Cathedral Ledge Distillery, which opened in 2020, has proven inspirational in its own right by taking the lead route up, what some proverbially call, Mt. Sustainability (see sidebar below).
“Distilling is inherently energy intensive,” says Christopher Burk, who owns Cathedral Ledge Distillery with his wife Tracy. “Everything we do is viewed through the lens of sustainability.” As New Hampshire's only USDA certified organic distillery, Cathedral Ledge is working closely with local and regional farmers to ensure that symbiotic relationships can blossom.
“The focus on organics for us is mainly about the farmers. Most of them have to deal with pesticides and other issues,” Burk says. “Until there’s a market for organic goods, they don’t have much of a choice.”
So, Burk is hoping to fill some of that void with his grain-to-glass need for organic corn, wheat, barley, rye, malt, and assorted fruits and vegetables. And while organic grains can cost four times more than those conventionally grown, Burk says the premium does not measurably increase the price of the distillery’s offerings. That’s because taxes, bottling, and other inputs occupy the vast majority of costs.
Moving beyond organics, Cathedral Ledge incorporated numerous energy and process efficiencies when designing and constructing its barn.
"Starting a business requires making thousands of decisions, which can feel like chores, but they’re also opportunities to reflect our values," Burk notes. “In many ways distilling is the intersection of science and folklore.”
The barn supplies its own need for electricity through 63 solar panels and offers two free–and publicly available–EV charging stations. Its windows, walls, and roof exceed code requirements for efficiency and it recirculates process energy for heating. From an architectural perspective, the barn emanates genuine warmth and a sense of what an old-fashioned still might have felt like.
Burk says eliminating plastics and reducing packaging are critical goals and that the company uses 100 percent post consumer recycled glass for its products. Cathedral Ledge even takes into account what some may consider burdensome, such as only using reusable tasting glasses at off-site events and in its tasting room.
The company, which hand-crafts vodka, whiskey, bourbon, gin, and liqueur and was named Distillery of the Year by the NH Liquor Commision in 2023, is able to recycle the water it uses for a variety of purposes. And, speaking of water, Burk is clearly proud of the source and contents of the water that provides the foundation for the company’s products.
“Our water runs off the base of Mt. Washington, right into our backyard,” he says, adding that it’s unfiltered and tested regularly. “We love our local minerals in our water.”
Unlike most larger distillers, Cathedral Ledge refuses to inject additives for so-called mouthfeel–the sensation that’s created in the mouth by food or drink. Government regulations typically allow for up to 2.5 percent of a spirit to contain mouthfeel enhancers, such as sugar or glycerin, without informing the consumer on the label. Not surprisingly, Burk doesn’t think highly of this practice or policy.
In the end, Burk says that spirits are a luxury and jokes that “it’s hooch, not health food.” And yet, it’s evident he believes strongly that consumers who do imbibe should know what ingredients are used and have the opportunity to support farmers and producers who value preserving the environment.
“We’re proud,” he says, “that ours is organic and sustainable.”
GO Sustainable Tip of the Month
For readers interested in exploring a company from a highly polluting industry that transformed into a leader on sustainability issues, Confessions of a Radical Industrialist by Ray Anderson is a worthy adventure. Anderson was the founder and CEO of Interface, a carpet manufacturing company that carried a large environmental footprint. He passionately chronicles his personal and, as a result, company’s journey up, what he termed, Mt. Sustainability. Anderson describes how preparing for and ascending this summit “enhanced our brand reputation, reduced our costs, and boosted our productivity.”
In Anderson’s mind, Mt. Sustainability has seven faces that any enterprise can and should attempt to conquer: Eliminate Waste; Reduce Emissions; Deploy Renewable Energy; Close the Loop; Create Efficient Transportation; Engage Stakeholders; and Redesign Commerce. The book is extremely well-written and takes the reader into the motivations for pursuing sustainability. “Everything we accomplished…has been done with good old capitalist self-interest firmly in mind,” Anderson wrote. “Cost savings, return on investment, product innovation, customer service and market share, not just sustainability, were the stars we were steering by.”
Andrew Schuyler splits his time between Conway, NH and Melrose, MA. He serves on the Board of the White Mountains Interpretive Association and has a background in journalism, clean tech, government affairs, and parenting. He enjoys swimming and reading at Davis Park in Conway, where he occasionally provides unsolicited advice to visitors who are behaving, ahem, poorly. Reach him at andrewschuyler@hotmail.com.
