Koskenkorva Vodka Climate Action – the first product developed in the long-time collaboration between leading Nordic drinks brand company Altia, farmer Jari Eerola and the Baltic Sea Action Group (BSAG) – is on course to become the world’s most sustainable vodka when it launches next year, as the first vodka made entirely from regeneratively farmed barley.

“We don’t want to do our work at the expense of our planet,” stressed Pekka Tennilä, CEO of Nasdaq Helsinki listed Altia. “Sustainable barley farming is one of the ways we aim to honour this goal, as barley cultivation is one of the major factors contributing to the carbon footprint of our products. Our collaboration with BSAG has given us access to the most up-to-date research findings and best practices.” 

More broadly speaking, Koskenkorva Vodka’s production is based on the circular economy. The distillery has a 99.9-per-cent recycling rate, and even the husks of the barley left over from vodka distillation are used to power the distillery’s own bioenergy plant. In addition to grain spirit, the Koskenkorva plant produces starch and raw materials for animal feed – and the CO2 generated in the process is collected and used in greenhouse cultivation. Koskenkorva’s investment in the circular economy led it to be awarded the Green Company of the Year accolade by the Spirits Business.

All the barley used in the production of Koskenkorva Vodka Climate Action was farmed earlier this year at the Setälä-Eerola, which adheres to BSAG’s guidelines on practices for regenerating agriculture: soil coverage is maximised on fields all year round, crop rotation and minimum tilling is applied, and organic fertilisers are used.

“Koskenkorva Vodka Climate Action is an important innovation for us, because it takes the brand another step closer to its goal of being the world’s most sustainable vodka,” noted Suvi Reinikkala, Marketing Director of Spirits at Altia, who added that the new spirit will be available in early 2021.