Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Completes First Year of Reforestation Plan

December 8, 2021 – Bulleit Frontier Whiskey has completed Year One of its Five Year Plan to plant one million trees over five years in partnership with American Forests, the oldest national nonprofit conservation organization in the United States.

Since the partnership’s inception in 2020, 427,825 seedlings have been planted, providing projected environmental benefits including:

• Carbon Sequestration:
  • By the time they’re fifty years old, the forests planted thus far will have stored 55,557 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in their roots, stems, and trunks. This is equivalent to the emissions from burning 6.3 million gallons of gasoline, or the emissions from the energy use in 6,690 American homes.
• Air Quality:
  • The trees will eventually remove 18,847 pounds of air pollutants such as ozone, smoke, dust and particulate matter, per year. This is the equivalent of taking 288 cars off the road annually.
• Water Conservation: 
  • These trees will capture, store and filter 27 million gallons of water a year, equal to the volume of water stored by 41 Olympic swimming pools.

So far, over 300 acres of great white oak have been restored.  White oak was an obvious choice because they are a cornerstone species of forests in the Eastern United States that are essential to the future of so many industries, including the whiskey industry. By definition, bourbon must be aged in new charred oak barrels, which help give the liquor its color and taste. Once a Bulleit barrel is used to age the award-winning whiskey, the life cycle continues with most barrels being used for years to come, aging other spirits like Scotch, rum, and tequila.

Bulleit and American Forests have expanded the program as it moves into its second year to include planting trees in urban areas where trees are in short supply.  In the photo volunteers assist Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, American Forests, and TreesLouisville for a tree planting event in downtown Louisville near several expressways earlier in November.