At Best Coast Distillers, sustainability is at the heart of our operations. One of our most impactful practices is capturing the heated water from our distillation cooling processes and repurposing it to irrigate our sorghum crops.

This closed-loop system not only conserves water by reducing our reliance on municipal sources, but it also makes use of a valuable byproduct that would otherwise be wasted. Our 5,000-gallon drinking water collection tank stores this warmed, clean water, which is then distributed through irrigation systems across our fields, providing consistent moisture while minimizing waste and environmental impact.

Using heated water for irrigation offers agronomic advantages as well. The slightly elevated temperature helps warm the root zone, especially beneficial during early-season growth when soil temperatures can slow development. Sorghum, a heat-tolerant and resilient crop, responds well to these conditions, often showing improved germination and faster early growth. in Fact Canada’s first Estate Grown Agricole Rum greatly benefits from this.

By integrating distillation byproducts into our agricultural cycle, we not only enhance the efficiency of both our farming and distilling practices but also demonstrate how thoughtful water management can play a key role in sustainable craft production.

Cory Hastings

Best Coast Distillers