Absolut(e) Air: Vodka Made From What We Breath

Brooklyn-based startup Air Co. has just released a vodka made from carbon dioxide. The electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide into alcohol is not new; Air Co. is the first to produce and scale a drinkable beverage out of it.

The new drink’s label reads “vodka made from air, water and sun.” As a player in the trendy food and beverage sustainability movement, Air Co. made “the world’s first carbon-negative vodka,” with each bottle a result of the daily carbon intake of eight trees.

Greg Constantine and electrochemist Stafford Sheehan, Air Co.’s co-founders, say they wanted to address “one of the planet’s most vexing problems and use science to introduce a solution.” Air Co. is among the many startups innovating the food and beverage industry while appealing to both consumers and investors. The demand for more environmentally-conscious products is only growing, and consumers are drawn to products that are good, do good, and feel good to buy.

Air Co. has already been recognized by NASA and the United Nations for the distilling technology, which is fighting climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during production.

“In creating Air Co., we wanted to deliver a product that is superior in quality, design and leaves a positive impact on the planet.”

Greg Constantine, co-founder of Air Co.

The smooth, ethically-made cocktail ingredient uses a patented distilling process that includes only two ingredients—carbon dioxide and water—to create ethyl alcohol. But the production of sustainable drinks is not cheap. Each 750ml bottle (which is totally reusable) of Air Co.’s vodka retails for $65, making it a high-end spirit. The vodka will be debuted in New York City this holiday season at retail shops and first-class bars.