Barr Hill Sustainability — Protecting the Whole Hive

At Barr Hill, we’re not just distillers of award-winning spirits, we’re stewards of the land, friends with farmers and protectors of pollinators. Barr Hill began as an agricultural initiative between a beekeeper and a distiller, and to us, conservation means doing things for nature’s sake. Every time you raise a glass of Barr Hill, you support the working landscape and the delicate web of life that links agriculture to cocktail culture.

Barr Hill Sustainability - Honey, Gin, and Lemon - ingredients for a Bee's Knees Cocktail

Pollinator Habitat

In 2017 we started Bee’s Knees Week, a weeklong, nationwide celebration of one of our favorite classic cocktails, the Bee’s Knees, to support and raise awareness for the importance of pollinators. Bees Knees Week raises funds to create and protect wild foraging space for bees and other pollinators. Through the years we’ve been able to create over one million sq/ft of new pollinator habitat which supports a diversity of species!

Good BEE-haviors

  • Barr Hill Gin Sustainability - diagram of sustainability in distillation

  • We don’t talk the talk, we walk the waggle… by creating more foraging space for bees and other pollinators. When you visit our distillery, you will discover an on-site pollinator garden made in partnership with our friends at Bee the Change showcasing bees’ favorite blossoms and a pollinator-friendly lawn. Learn more about the importance of pollinator gardens and meadowscaping here!

    We responsibly designed our distillery from the ground up with sustainability and conservation in mind at every step. The site of our home on Gin Lane is built on a brownfield site we worked to restore before breaking ground. 100% percent of our energy is carbon neutral, and 78% comes from renewable resources. 100% of our stillage goes to a local biodigester which helps power our town. A state of the art heat reclamation system repurposes heat from our distilling process to power radiant flooring in our patio. And our packaging uses up to 30% recycled glass; the maximum post-consumer content allowed in the industry.

Image of premium Barr Hill Raw Honey

Premium Starts with Purity

Premium raw honey from family farms in our region is the signature ingredient in every Barr Hill spirit. In fact, Barr Hill Vodka is distilled entirely from raw honey, no grains or potatoes. And our gins, Barr Hill Gin and the barrel aged Tom Cat Gin, use only responsibly sourced juniper. We source all of our ingredients from sustainable farms that avoid neonics and other harmful pesticides to support healthy ecosystems.

Saturn Cocktail made with Barr Hill Gin and Chinola. Rum drinkers and tropical cocktail fans will love this passionfruit and honey gin combination.

Creative Ideas

For Earth Month 2024, we partnered with Chinola, a passion fruit liqueur maker from the Dominican Republic. The mission: bring awareness to sustainable distilling & farming while savoring a delicious tropical drink, known as The Saturn, that supports a healthy planet. And throughout Earth Month, a portion of proceeds for every bottle sold was donated to pollinator friendly non-profits. While tropical cocktails are not typically known for being sustainable, we worked together with Chinola to show that you can enjoy these fun and refreshing cocktails, while being mindful of our impact on the planet by choosing to support responsibly crafted spirits.

Protecting Pollinators - Image of beekeeper's hands as they take care of a hive

Local Farm Partners

We wouldn’t be able to do what we love without farmers. We work closely with area farms to source the highest quality, responsibly grown, raw ingredients for our award winning spirits, as well as for our celebrated cocktail bar on site. It provides a valuable route to market for many family farms in the region and allows us to showcase the rugged spirit and terroir of our beautiful home place.

We’re proud to be at the forefront of the spirits industry, leading a shift to mindfulness in distilling, pioneering innovative advances in heat reclamation, wastewater reduction and green energy, and sourcing the highest quality raw ingredients from responsible farms. Its our mission to reconnect cocktail culture to agriculture. We strive to Raise our Barr everyday, and are constantly looking for new ways to improve our impact in the spirits industry and in our community.