Road - Driven to Drink!

Here’s a heart and stomach warming tale of new technology blending with tradition to create harmony in this electronics infested age.

In a bid to become self-sufficient, the 130 year old Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay has built a Biowayste system which enables it to generate its own electricity.

Pot ale, which is the watery waste product left over after distilling, is converted into biogas by a process called anaerobic digestion which then powers a generator to produce electricity.

Taking this idea a step further, distillery owner Mark Reynier has bought an electrically powered Nissan Leaf to drive which means he doesn’t need to ‘import’ diesel or petrol from the mainland! And with less than a hundred miles of road on the island, it doesn't half make sense. Crikey, wan swig o' that Bruichladdich and he could push it home if the battery goes flat!

Mr Reynier said: “We are not eco-warriors, but we wanted to see how we could do our part. Most schemes along these lines are hare-brained and have little commercial merit, but this one does. Though the technology has existed since 1860, only now is it economically viable on this small scale.”

One of eight distilleries on Islay, Bruichladdich is the only producer of organic whisky, and recently distilled the first ever biodynamic whisky. And how better to celebrate such an innovation than by creating a new organic dram.

I’ll drink to that!