How carbon neutral is the production of wine, beer and spirits?

Question

I want to know of any carbon neutral breweries/products available within the UK. Preferably in the west midlands and southwest. Also if there are any in the Netherlands or Spain where I am going on holiday this year.

Ace

Answer 1

I don't know about the distillation process, but for beer, one of the primary byproducts of fermentation is the production of CO2.  Of course, alot of research is currently showing that CO2 is increasing due to increasing temperatures, not the other way around.

Answer 2

I'm a microbiologist; the production of ethanol from the fermentation of sugars is something that microorganisms have done, regularly, for over two billion years (if not longer). I'm all for people trying to be carbon-neutral, but seriously, you're not even adding humanity into the equation here. Whether or not YOU turn the wheat, grapes, etc into alcohol and fermentation products really doesn't matter, because bacteria and yeast will do it anyway. If anything, you're recycling carbon the way nature intended. Unless you're a giant wine-making factory using petrochemicals or something, of course.

Answer 3

It isnt just about the production process. You have to look at how the ingredients are produced and grown. If you cut down apple trees to grow hops, then you are reducing the natural ability to convert CO2 to O2