Washington is well-known for creating an atmosphere where the state’s breweries, cideries, distilleries and wineries can focus not only on creating great products, but doing so while utilizing cutting-edge sustainable initiatives. “Known for its ambitious policies on clean energy, waste reduction, and habitat preservation,” reports Seattle Wire, “Washington often leads the way in setting environmental standards that resonate far beyond its borders.”
Breweries
The Yakima Valley contains approximately 75% of the total United States hop acreage, with an average farm size of 450 acres, accounting for more than 77% of the total United States hop crop. Despite this large-scale hop farms like Haas (Yakima) maintain a craft sensibility. For example, they practice 100% drip irrigation, cover cropping and composting to conserve water and enhance soil health along with GLOBAL G.A.P. and Platinum LEED certifications.
Concurrently, breweries like Bale Breaker Brewing Company (Yakima) engage in sustainable practices. Recently they cut their carbon dioxide usage by l. approximately 50% by switching many of their brewing processes to use nitrogen instead. In addition, they package beer in lighter-weight and more recycling-friendly aluminum cans, repurpose all of their spent grain by giving it to local farmers for livestock feed, and side stream all their process wastewater and divert it to a local composting company — who then creates the compost that will eventually be put back on their family’s hop fields.
As the only B Corp certified brewery in the state, Aslan Brewing Company (Bellingham) believes that being B Corp is a triple-bottom-line business; people and planet over profit. In the brewhouse, they execute that by using all organic ingredients, sending their spent grain to an organic farm, and offsetting their water usage. In their tasting rooms and restaurants, they execute that by making sure their employees are taken care of (full-shift meal and insurance for hourly staff) and that their customers know what their values are.
Fremont Brewing (Seattle) demonstrates its commitment to environmental, social and economic sustainability. According to the company, they strive to reduce their carbon footprint through energy conservation, zero-waste production processes, and initiatives that grow the market for sustainable ingredients. Their employee benefits include subsidized family healthcare and transit cards, an employer-matched 401(k) plan, and paid family leave.
Cideries
Finnriver Farm and Cidery (Chimacum), an organic farm and orchard located along a salmon stream in the Chimacum Valley, embodies the sustainable spirit inherent within the Pacific Northwest cider community. While they stay rooted in traditional methods, they’ve introduced innovations to help them scale thoughtfully and sustainably. From sourcing organic fruit to investing in renewable energy and circular reuse systems, sustainability is woven into every step of their growth. One recent innovation is the launch of select ciders in cans, which allows them to meet growing demand for ciders in a travel-ready format and expand access to cider made with 100% organic fruit, especially at a time when they have seen fragility in glass recycling supply chains in their area. At the same time, Finnriver continues to invest in glass stewardship through a bottle wash and reuse program, extending the life of their bottles and reducing waste in the local community.
Being the only B Corp-certified cidery in the Pacific Northwest represents both an honor and a responsibility, according to Finnriver marketing director Laura Pendergast. “This means we’re held accountable for our impact on people, place and planet and it pushes us to measure what matters,” she says. “Our recent recertification was another chance to reflect, and every time we go through that process, we find ways to improve. We’re grateful for that accountability, and we’re always happy to share our experience with other cideries interested in this path.”
According to Schilling Cider (Seattle), their Excelsior Imperial Mango 12-ounce, the number one fruited cider in the U.S., is now climate neutral — joining Excelsior Imperial Apple as the brand’s second climate-neutral offering. Both are made climate neutral through the reduction of Schilling’s direct carbon emissions, and investments in carbon offset credits via Tradewater, a mission-based B Corp that creates and implements projects that permanently prevent some of the most potent greenhouse gases from releasing into the atmosphere.
Distilleries
Washington is home to more B Corp-certified distilleries than any other U.S. state, with three out of 44 globally certified distilleries situated here. Adrift Distillers (Long Beach) was the first distillery to attain B Corp certification in April 2019. Fast Penny Spirits (Seattle) was the second in February 2022, followed by Westland Distillery (Seattle) in January 2024.
Jamie Hunt, Founder and CEO of Fast Penny Spirits, believes Washington leads the United States in B-Corp distilleries because people in the Pacific Northwest have a deep connection to their environment. “Surrounded by the ocean, lakes, mountains, forests, and the Palouse, we feel a strong responsibility to protect these natural treasures and to look out for one another,” she says.
Hunt adds that by choosing an amaro that’s made by a women-owned B-Corp certified company, consumers are doing more than enjoying a great spirit. “You’re supporting a business that’s proven to give back,” she says. “Studies show women-owned businesses are more likely to reinvest in their communities through philanthropy, inclusive hiring and programs that support education, health and social needs, often donating at higher rates than their male counterparts.”
Melanie Gourley, the sustainability officer for Westland Distillery (Seattle), talks about how B Corp certification was championed by the staff, but quickly became adopted by leadership. “It became a guiding principle for our business,” she recalls. “From the beginning, we knew our work had to be about treating both people and land with respect, and doing things the right way, even when no one was watching.”
Gourley says Westland was founded with a long-term view. “We asked how our existence impacts our local community, how our practices fit the Pacific Northwest’s unique climate, and how we can work in ways that are less invasive yet deeply connected to place: thoughtfully made whiskey made all in the pursuit of exploring the flavors native to our home.”
Wineries
Currently, about a third of Washington state’s acreage is certified by Washington Wine Commission’s Sustainable WA or is in the process of becoming certified. While this is only a vineyard certification, wineries may put the Sustainable WA logo on their bottles of wine if 75% of the wine grapes in that bottle are certified Sustainable WA.
Marissa Dineen of Dineen Vineyards in The Hills (Rattlesnake Hills AVA) finds that this certificate drives the Washington state wine industry to adopt best-in-class practices in viticulture, people management and business management, and fosters the long-term health of the industry. “This program serves as a hallmark of quality by assuring wine buyers, through a rigorous third-party audit, that the grapes that make the wine in their glass uphold high standards. Also, sustainability and responsible business practices resonate with younger consumers, who are a key demographic we aim to introduce to wine and develop into lifelong enthusiasts.”
A few pioneers in the Washington wine industry, like Paul Beveridge of Wilridge Winery, Vineyard & Distillery (Yakima, Woodinville and Seattle), committed to being organic and biodynamic from the start. His vineyard is USDA-certified, Salmon-Safe, and remains the oldest biodynamic-certified vineyard winery in Washington still in operation. Beyond the vineyard, Wilridge runs 100% on solar power at both the Vineyard Farmhouse Tasting Room and the estate winery adjacent to the vineyard. Beveridge also spearheaded state legislation permitting wineries to use reusable bottles, further advancing sustainability in the industry.
Salmon-Safe Certified
A growing number of Washington state beverage producers are seeking out grains, hops, and fruit that are verified Salmon-Safe Certified. Program director Michelle McGrath stresses how unlike other certifications that focus on certifying the brewery, cidery, distillery or winery, Salmon-Safe Certified focuses on certifying the hops, grains, grapes, apples and other products grown by the farmers. A product with Salmon-Safe Certified on the label means this product has undergone a rigorous third-party verified check of practices that looks at water use efficiency, habitat protection, integrated pest management, reducing pesticide use that is harmful to watershed species like salmon, as well as manure management and landscape-level conservation efforts that can impact the watershed.
For more than 20 years, they’ve certified over 350 Pacific Northwest vineyards. They’ve also formed a longstanding partnership with the wine industry nonprofit LIVE Certified and recently with the Sustainable WA Program, where viticulturists across the Pacific Northwest can get jointly Salmon-Safe certified through either program to boost their sustainability practices.
In 2022, Copperworks Distilling Company (Seattle and Kenmore) had the distinction of launching the first Pacific Northwest Salmon-Safe whiskey. Currently, Salmon-Safe is partnering with LINC Malt (Spokane) and Coldstream Malt (Rosalia) to help transition a growing number of environmentally innovative grain growers in the interior Columbia Basin to certified barley malt. In addition, they’ve also joined with Mainstem Malt (Walla Walla) and Admiral Maltings (Alameda, Calif.) to further transition inland Northwest grain growers to certified malt.
