Distiller magazine a publication of the American Distilling Institute, the Voice of Artisan Distilling; devoted to the craft spirits industry: vendors and distillers alike.
Issue link: http://distilling.uberflip.com/i/1306663
68 distiller fires," says Richard Brinckmann, Copal Tree farm manager. "Cane fire is essentially a flash fire to burn off dried leaves in the field. Because of the high water content in sugar cane, the cane itself and sugar content are intact during the fire. However, this fire generates smoke that is bad for the local community, not to mention the carbon dioxide it releases. By hand cut only, a considerable amount of green materials are left in the field (not burnt) as mulch and fertilizer too. e farm is also free of pes- ticides, and we use a little chicken manure from the Belizean farmers to enhance the fertilization." Copalli rum is using pure canopy water collected from the rain forest. After distillation, the sugarcane leaves a lot of liquid behind, which is called vinasse. Copalli does two things with it. First, they use it as liquid fertilizer on Copal Tree's farm because of its rich nutrients. Second, they use catchment ponds to neu- tralize the dirty water through probiotics. What comes from the land goes back to the land. Other than vinasse mentioned above, the other waste is the sugarcane fiber, which is used to fuel the boiler. e ash from the boiler provides additional nutrients and helps maintain a favorable pH in the soil. When it comes to bottling and labeling, one of the biggest problems the industry is facing is how to minimize waste from all those glass bottles and cardboard boxes that get shipped around the world. If we are going to be truly sustainable, we must assess all of the supplies as well. Copal Tree Distillery is on the lookout for solutions in this area. In addition, they hope to get big enough one day to produce their own electricity and keep the energy and carbon cycle local. Last but not least, Copalli contributes to the local community. It employs over 130 people, making them the largest employer in Southern Belize. It also spends up to $50,000 on education grants to help local girls go to high school. "Belize is a very small country," says Destiny Wagner, a native Belezian and social justice advocate who grew up near Copalli. She was raised in Punta Gorda, and later attended college in New York. "However, we are constantly progressing," she says. "Back in the day women were expected to get married early and have kids while being forced to discontinue their educa- tion. Although some households still carry that mindset, we are breaking generational curses at a steady pace. For example, we have two women in the House of Representatives." ese are just a few of the steps that Copal Tree is taking for a more sustainable future, by improving every aspect possible. To leave a habitable world for new generations to come, whether you are a distiller or a consumer, perhaps the first question to ask is: what is your in rum? END Copalli White Rum Rio Grande Copalli rum is using pure canopy water collected from the rain forest. After distillation, the sugarcane leaves a lot of liquid behind… they use it as liquid fertilizer on Copal Tree's farm because of its rich nutrients. [And]… they use catchment ponds to neutralize the dirty water through probiotics.