Skip to main content

Arbikie Releases Second Climate-Positive Spirit, Nàdar Vodka

After making history earlier this year by launching Nàdar Gin, the world’s first groundbreaking climate-positive distillate, Scottish “field-to-bottle” distillery Arbikie Highland Estate is back at it again, adding another climate-positive creation to its sustainability lineup.

This time, it’s Nàdar Vodka.

Arbikie

Released on August 28th in celebration of World Sustainable Spirits Day, Nàdar Vodka is made in the same manner as Arbikie’s revolutionary Nàdar Gin, using peas for the base spirit instead of wheat. This key switch is what allows Arbikie to achieve the ultra-low carbon emission numbers required for a product to be climate positive. As opposed to climate-neutral, which means that a product doesn’t create any new CO2 during its production process, climate-positive is the next frontier of production and industry, achieved when a product avoids producing more carbon dioxide emissions than it takes to create the product. 

“Sustainable products, particularly in the area of food and drink, are undoubtedly the future,” says Arbikie director Iain Stirling. 

Arbikie

As Master Distiller Kirsty Black discovered when creating Nàdar Gin, peas and other legumes yield a much small carbon footprint than traditional grains thanks to their unique process of extracting their own nitrogen from the air, thereby eliminating the need for additional fertilizers that contain nitrogen and are known to be major polluters. 

This, plus Arbikie’s focus on single-estate production by growing most of its other ingredients at its own farm in eastern Scotland, as well as managing its own distilling operation on-site, is what allows the brand to create a spirit with carbon savings of >1.53 kg CO2e per 700 ml bottle. 

Arbikie

“By shifting our focus to climate change and biodiversity loss we not only want to minimize our impact on the environment but also inspire and demonstrate to others the potential options available and how they might take advantage of these challenges,” Black stated in a press release announcing the new vodka. 

Black and the Arbikie team also decided to forego the usual neutral, tasteless vodka route in favor of a vodka that showed nuance of flavor. With a smooth and silky mouthfeel, Nàdar Vodka has a zesty, spicy taste, contrasted with “floral notes” on the nose. With such a unique flavor and scent combination, it’s bound to be a great vodka for mixing. 

After spending five years working on Nàdar Gin, which was just released in March of this year, this latest addition to the Nàdar sustainable spirits family is a fast turn-around, showcasing the distillery’s ongoing commitment to increasing its sustainability in its own operations and encouraging other distilleries to do the same. 

“Arbikie is focused on becoming one of the world’s most sustainable distilleries, as both farmers and distillers we are in an ideal position to grow & distill our family of sustainable spirits,” says Stirling. 

With 43% ABV, Nàdar Vodka is now available for purchase on Arbikie’s website.

Editors' Recommendations

Zoe Baillargeon
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Zoe Baillargeon is an award-winning travel writer and freelance journalist based in the Pacific Northwest. She covers travel…
The Best Spirits For Bloody Marys, According To Bartenders
Bloody mary cocktail lime

The Bloody Mary’s iconic status as a brunch menu fixture is a testament to its bold flavors ... in addition to its hangover-defeating properties. Fans of the Bloody will always praise this Blood Mary mix of tomato juice, citrus juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and spirits, and while naysayers might wrinkle their noses at the savory nature of this cocktail, its popularity shows no signs of fading. 

Traditionally, Bloody Marys include vodka as their liquor component. For that reason, we got plenty of vodka recs from the bartenders we consulted to speak on their favorite Bloody spirits. However, if you’d prefer to veer away from the norm and try out a different liquor style, then you’ll have abundant options. Read on for 8 specific bottles that make formidable additions to a spicy, tangy, perfectly balanced Bloody Mary. 
Tito’s Handmade Vodka
 
If you prefer a clean, harmonious vodka in your Bloody Mary, then you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better fit than Tito’s. General manager Amanda McBride of Bambara Kitchen & Bar in Cambridge, Massachusetts tells us that “Tito’s Handmade Vodka is our go-to for the perfect Bloody Mary. We like a Bloody with some heat, and the black pepper undertones in Tito’s heighten the spicy kick we're looking for. Tito’s also stands up to the acid and spice in the Bloody and does not get lost in the drink, but actually enhances it.”

Read more
The 8 Best Cheap Vodka Brands Under $20
best cheap vodkas under 20 dollars vodka

When I think of “cheap vodka,” my mind immediately returns to the neighborhood liquor stores I frequented as a college student, where I’d regularly scan the bottom shelves and pick up the least expensive plastic handle of clear liquor I could find. Usually, my purchases tasted like turpentine and left me with excruciating hangovers ... but as a 21-year-old looking to get tipsy on the cheap, I didn’t let small details like “quality” or the benefits of vodka stand in my way.

But these days, as an older and (slightly) wiser drinker, I find myself applying higher standards to the spirits on my shopping list. However, I still maintain my youthful fondness for a bargain-rate libation, which is why I enthusiastically recommend these eight vodkas, which deliver a clean, well-balanced drinking experience for under $20 a bottle. Though sometimes it still makes sense to drink top-shelf vodkas.
Kirkland Signature Vodka

Read more
3 Infusions Worth Trying to Upgrade Your Spirits at Home
3 easy liquor infusions jia shum fn8f byxvqs unsplash

At the liquor store, there are only so many ingredients to choose from. When you want to add a flavor to a cocktail that doesn't exist as a pre-packaged product, sometimes you're left to your own devices and need to put your DIY skills to the test. While these components can sometimes be included in the form of a syrup, an infused spirit is another way enhance the texture and flavor of a cocktail. Whether you favor using a fruit, herb, spice, or fat (i.e milk, nuts, meat fat, and so on), infusions are a way to customize your drinking experience.

They are fairly simple to make, and you can use any spirit as the base. When it comes to choosing a base spirit for the infusion, make sure it is something that you enjoy on its own. You'll never be able to cover-up a lack of quality with other infused flavors. Another thing to keep in mind has to do with safety and making sure the infusion is potable. Alcohol is a solvent. It extracts high concentrations of the characteristics of whatever it is mixed with, which can be hazardous in some cases. For example, the pits of peaches, and other stone fruit, contain a compound called amygdalin which breaks down into hydrogen cyanide when ingested. If this ingredient were to find its way into a spirit, the consequences could be lethal. Refer to cocktailsafe.org before you go infusing away with various ingredients, and make sure to do your homework.

Read more