Spirits giant Diageo has announced plans to invest CAD $245 million (€173 million) in a new distillery to support the growth of its Crown Royal Canadian Whisky brand.
The facility, with the capacity to produce up to 20 million LAA’s (litres of absolute alcohol, the equivalent to 10.5 million proof gallons) annually, will sit on approximately 400 acres in Ontario’s St. Clair Township.
It will include a distillery, as well as blending and warehousing operations.
Diageo Ontario Distillery
The facility's construction will be shaped by the Diageo ‘Society 2030:Spirit of Progress’ sustainability action plan.
It will feature resource efficiency technologies and will operate with 100% renewable energy to ensure the new distillery is carbon neutral and zero-waste to landfill from all direct operations.
“A low-carbon world is essential for a sustainable future, so I am thrilled to announce our first carbon neutral distillery in Canada as we continue to build momentum in our journey to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2030,” said Perry Jones, president, North America supply for Diageo.
“We celebrate such a significant milestone for our Crown Royal brand, our North American operations and global footprint.”
Diageo has outlined its commitment to reaching net-zero carbon across its direct operations by 2030, harnessing 100% renewable energy.
The company is also working to achieve net zero carbon across its entire supply chain by 2050 or sooner, with an interim milestone to achieve a 50% reduction by 2030.
Crown Royal Canadian Whisky
Canadian whisky accounted for 7% of Diageo’s global net sales and Crown Royal grew 12% in the first half of its financial year.
Read More: Diageo Sees First-Half Sales Raised By High-End Spirits
“Crown Royal is the heart of our whisk(e)y business, as the most valuable whisky brand. It’s critical when we extend our footprint, that we are committed to creating a more sustainable world,” said Sophie Kelly, senior vice president of Whiskies, Diageo North America.
“We are thrilled by this new world-class distillery. It will enable us to drive momentum to 2030 and beyond to elevate Crown Royal as a best-in-class whisky brand that leads innovation in the industry.”
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest Drinks news. Article by Conor Farrelly. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
