Owners of Arbikie, the Stirlings, have been farming for over 400 years, and since the three brothers who currently run it, Iain, David and John, added the distillery to their operation nearly a decade ago, they have made it their ambition to develop a ‘field to bottle’ model of growing, harvesting and distilling everything on-site. Arbikie Highland Estate in Angus is leading the way in the decarbonisation of the global drinks sector, with their game-changing pea-based gin Nàdar, setting the tone for a sustainable supply chain for other distillers to follow. This is the seventh in a series of case studies, developed as part of the 2023 RHASS Presidential Initiative (PI), exploring the science behind food and drink production. Working closely with scientists at Abertay University and the James Hutton Institute, they have explored the distilling potential of less conventional crops such as peas and potatoes, which has driven the expansion of the global sustainable spirits’ market.
The RHASS Presidents’ Initiative will culminate with a showcase at the Royal Highland Show, bringing together different sectors and stories from over the past months and creating a legacy of materials which will be made available for anyone to access. George Taylor of the RHASS Presidential Initiative said: "Arbikie Highland Estate is an inspirational story of the Stirling brothers’ vision and hard work, resulting in the production of a great range of sustainable and locally distilled Scottish spirits that are now being sold worldwide."
Their award-winning spirit Nàdar is the world’s first climate-positive gin. It was created by Master Distiller and scientist Dr Kirsty Black and in close collaboration with Agroecologist Dr Pietro Iannetta, from the James Hutton Institute. Together they explored the distilling potential of leguminous crops, in particular looking at peas, which offer many benefits including their ability to fix their own nitrogen, thus reducing reliance on synthetic fertiliser and reducing environmental impact. Iain Stirling highlighted that pressures are mounting on the drinks industry to improve its sustainability record and he hopes the work demonstrated by Arbikie could be replicated and help decarbonise the drinks sector across the world.
Find out more about the finalists for the Helping it Happen Awards 2023