DISTILLED SPIRITS COUNCIL OF THE UNITED STATES NAMES COLORADO DISTILLER CONNIE BAKER OF MARBLE DISTILLING CO. TO SUSTAINABILITY BOARD
CARBONDALE, Colo. (Dec 7, 2021) – Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) in conjunction with the leading sustainable distillery, Marble Distilling Co. (MDC) are honored to announce today that Connie Baker, CEO & Head Distiller of Marble Distilling Co., has been selected as the first Craft Distiller representative on the DISCUS Environmental Sustainability Committee. The DISCUS Sustainability Committee engages in energy, climate, water stewardship, resource conservation and sustainable packaging. Baker joins members from top companies and brands such as Beam Suntory, Brown-Forman, Bacardi, Remy-Cointreau, Moët Hennessy, Diageo and Pernod Ricard, to name a few. Strategic committee discussions include energy-efficient ways to process spent stillage, technologies available to convert liquid spent stillage into an efficient and renewable fuel source, and establishing feasibility studies to learn potential energy and materials savings and member company sustainability priorities through technological innovations.
MDC is a pioneer in zero waste sustainable distilling and business practices and a zero-waste distillery using innovative, first-of-a-kind sustainable processes to make award-winning, hand-crafted, premium spirits. Baker created the Water and Energy Thermal System (WETS). This innovative, closed-loop method captures 100% of the water and energy utilized and created during the distillation process. The WETS reuse system saves 1.8 billion BTUs and more than four million gallons of water annually—enough energy to power 20 homes a year. All water and energy are reused in the facility.
Marble Distilling Co – Green By Nature
In addition to running her distillery, Baker is a sought after speaker as an expert on the subject of sustainability in distilling. She recently spoke at DISCUS’s annual conference in Austin on ‘Sustainability as a Business Model’. On December 5, Baker will speak on ‘The Financial Returns of Operating a Sustainable Distillery’ at the American Craft Spirits Association in Louisville, KY.
According to Baker, “We believe the environment should not be at the mercy of people enjoying fabulous cocktails. Through water conservation, renewable energy, local sourcing and reuse of byproducts, we have started a new conversation around conservation because traditional alcohol production practices are unsustainable. We can save the planet, one bottle at a time!”
Marble Distilling Co. is a “grain to glass to ground” business. The grains used by MDC are grown and sourced less than one mile from the distillery by local partners like Nieslanik Beef, while other grains are sourced from Alamosa, Co. and Palisade, Co. Once the grains have been distilled, all stillage is returned to participating local ranchers within three miles of the distillery to reuse as livestock feed and compost.
The Distillery Inn at MDC was the only North American property to be named a 2017 Green Hotelier Award Winner. Properties are judged on their efforts to reduce: energy and water consumption, and waste output, while also evaluating their roles as responsible businesses with respect to both their employees and the local community, as well as how they communicate their sustainable and responsible ethos to their guests.
MDC received The Master’s Medal for Green Initiatives from the Global Distillery Masters Competition, an international competition that celebrates the achievements and innovations of distilleries reaching beyond the quality of their spirits. MDC is certified as a Green Business by Green America and was honored with the Exceptional Implementation of Sustainable Technologies award from the U.S. Green Building Council of Colorado. The Sierra Club named MDC as one of the “Six Spirits to Drink if you Want to Save the Planet.”