EP21: The world’s first vodka made from air - Air Company
FUN FACT
Each bottle removes roughly one pound of carbon dioxide from the air through its entire life cycle!
Flagship Product
FOUNDERS
Gregory Constantine and Stafford Sheehan
LAUNCHED
2019
HQ
Brooklyn, NY
Problem
Producing a typical bottle of vodka comes at a steep price for the planet. If you look at the entire supply chain — growing corn, potato and wheat, transporting product, and everything in between - the footprint is not one to be proud of. Alcohol companies farm thousands of acres of land for corn, potatoes or wheat, and, according to the University of Michigan, grain products contribute to 3% of greenhouse gases from food consumption in U.S. households.
Solution
Air Company flips the model on its head by making alcohol out of excess CO2 from nearby factories. While making a typical bottle of vodka might produce around 13 pounds of greenhouse gases, this product is actually carbon negative, removing a pound of CO2 for every bottle produced.
Episode Brief
Gregory Constantine, Air Company’s Co-Founder and CEO, joins Peter on this week’s episode to discuss:
Why a spirits-maker is receiving awards from NASA and the UN
Making vodka from excess carbon and how it works
The climate footprint of traditional alcohol production
Pricing and balancing premium vs access
The pros and cons of alcohol’s 3-tier system
Products in the pipeline
Lightning Round:
From your time on Diageo’s Global Brand Team, what campaign are you most proud of?
Having gone thru Harvard exec education, what’s the #1 reason someone should seek this option out and who is it best-suited for?
If you weren’t working on Air Co, where would you be exploring and why?
The team will consider 2020 a success for Air Co if {this happens}?
Credits
HOST
Peter Levin
PRODUCTION
Dan Mahoney
MUSIC
Eddie Knuckles