Elite Traveler Summer 2021

THE MACALLAN Located in Speyside, the spiritual home of Scotch, The Macallan distillery has experienced climate change firsthand. Winters in this remote region of Scotland are noticeably warmer and wetter, while summers are hotter and drier. These extremes are no good for aging whisky, which requires cool and consistent temperatures. A good cask of Macallan can take over 40 years to reach its peak, so the distillery is naturally focused on the long term. When the company decided to build a new site in 2012, it took the opportunity to become more sympathetic to the Scottish countryside. The distillery was designed to reflect the natural rhythm of Speyside’s rolling hills and minimize its visual impact. No expense was spared to make the production a ‘closed loop’ system: Boilers are powered by biomass and excess heat is diverted to warm the visitors’ center. The result? Despite the vast increase in size, the new distillery uses less energy per liter of alcohol produced than its predecessor. Its recent Red Collection was also made with the environment in mind: The presentation boxes were handcrafted from oak and lined with sustainably sourced leather. A unique edition of The Red Collection was auctioned at Sotheby’s, selling for an astonishing $975,750. All proceeds were donated to food charity City Harvest. themacallan.com

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LOUIS XIII The eaux-de-vie used in a Louis XIII cognac can take a century to reach its peak so, needless to say, the company has a vested interest in the future. The unique ‘terroir’ — a blend of climate, soil, plants and human action — of Grande Champagne makes Louis XIII the fine cognac that it is. But climate change is disrupting the equilibrium, which could ultimately degrade the finished product. Louis XIII has been actively working to reduce its environmental impact for 20 years. It is aiming to ensure its winegrowers attain a High Environmental Value (HEV) certification, which recognizes a holistic approach to air, water, soil and plants. Last year, it reached its goal of having 50% of land HVE-certified — two years ahead of schedule — and is aiming to have 100% certified by 2028. Louis XIII recently partnered with musician Pharrell Williams to raise climate change awareness. The star composed a song that will not be released until 2117; the track was laid down on one record made of clay that is being stored in the Cognac region. If sea levels rise too much, the record will be destroyed and the song will never be heard. louisxiii-cognac.com

Photos Eric Mercier, Ralph Dunning