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The Louisville-based craft distiller Angel ’ s Envy has increased its efforts towards sustainable oak use .

The company announced in August that it will double its commitment to support the future of the white oak tree population , through Angel ’ s Envy ’ s 5th annual “ Toast the Trees ” campaign .

Angel ’ s Envy pledged during “ Toast the Trees ” to plant one white oak tree for every photo of an Angel ’ s Envy drink or bottle posted using the hashtag # ToastTheTrees on social media ( Facebook , Instagram and Twitter ) throughout the month of September .

This year , the distillery doubled its goal from 10,000 hashtags for 10,000 new white oak trees planted in 2017 , to 20,000 hashtags for 20,000 new white oak trees planted in 2018 . Angel ’ s Envy set no cap on how many trees it will plant , the company says , hoping that it will meet , and exceed , its 20,000-tree planting goal .

“ Angel ’ s Envy is not only committed to preserving the future of distilling , but to sustainable business practices ,” says Wes Henderson , co-founder and chief innovation officer of Angel ’ s Envy . “ Through our fans ’ participation in ‘ Toast the Trees ,’ Angel ’ s Envy is able to plant more white oak trees than we use annually to make our barrels .”

The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance ( CSWA ) earlier this year released its first annual Certified Sustainable Report . This highlights the accomplishments of the 127 wineries and 1,099 vineyards in California that are Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing .

The certification program saw a 46 % growth in 2017 in the number of certified vineyards , plus a 20 % growth in the number of certified wineries .

“ The commitment to sustainability by California growers and vintners is truly impressive ,” says Allison Jordan , CSWA ’ s executive director . “ This new report details examples of their high level of commitment . CSWA has publicly shared results since the inception of the program and this report advances the transparency we believe is critical for a credible certification program .”

The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance ( CSWA ) in March officially launched a new logo that identifies wines from the state that are “ Certified Sustainable California .” The logo is a certification program that provides verification by a thirdparty auditor that a winery or vineyard implements sustainable practices and continuous improvement , according to the CSWA website .

Beginning with the 2017 vintage , qualifying wineries may use the logo on bottles to inform consumers of their certified status , the company says . Wines made in certified wineries with at least 85 percent of grapes from certified California vineyards meet the requirements for logo use .

6 Beverage Information Group • Sustainability Guide 2018

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