from thin air! well that has got my vote,
Brooklyn-based
startup Air Co. claims to have created the world’s first “carbon negative
vodka” by capturing carbon dioxide captured from the air and using a solar
powered machine to turn it into ethanol, according to Air Co. co-founder
Gregory Constantine, each bottle of carbon negative vodka sucks a pound of
carbon dioxide from the air in its entire life cycle, or as much as eight
full-grown trees. Unlike traditional vodka, which is made by fermenting
starch-rich grains like wheat, or potatoes, in a process that can create around
13 pounds of greenhouse gases, Air Co. vodka is made only with water and carbon
dioxide, and its production process actually removes carbon dioxide from the
air,
Stafford
Sheehan, the other co-founder of Air Co., told Fast Company that the process used to create this
unique vodka was “inspired by photosynthesis in nature, where plants breathe in
CO2. They take up water, and they use energy in the form of sunlight to make
things like sugars and to make other higher-value hydrocarbons, with oxygen as
the sole by-product. Same thing with our process: The only by-product is
oxygen.” Air Co. reportedly uses a small, solar-powered machine to pull CO2
from the air so the gas can be split into carbon and oxygen. The separated
molecules are then mixed with water over a metal-based catalyst to form pure
ethanol,
“Following
conversion, we distill the 10% ethanol to 96.5% in a custom-built, 18-plate
vodka still followed by additional proprietary, trade-secret processes to
purify and dilute the ethanol to a 40% alcohol-by-volume vodka,” Sheehan
explained, adding that the water is then removed via distilling, leaving behind
the alcohol, not only is Air Co. vodka carbon negative, but it is also
theoretically purer that traditional spirits, as it is free of the impurities
that can be left behind from the fermented grains, so there you have it, vodka for free! Well not quite, Air Co. is only releasing its innovative product to a
few select bars and restaurants in New York City, at a price of $65 per bottle,
but plans to expand distribution to other retailers in 2020.
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