Milwaukee’s Central Standard Craft Distillery is shifting to purchasing all of its distillation grains from Clinton, Wisconsin-based DeLong Co.’s Grown Climate Smart brand, the distillery announced Monday.
“We continually explore sustainable business practices, and now partnering with The DeLong Co., Inc., we’re embracing it even more,” said Central Standard co-founder Pat McQuillan.
“Our spirits are distilled with locally sourced crops, grains and ingredients that are grown the right way with positive climate initiatives in mind.”
Central Standard co-founder Evan Hughes added that the distillery sources all of its grain from DeLong, except for malted barley.
DeLong said its Grown Climate Smart Initiative incentivizes sustainable farming practices like cover crops, reduced or no till, nutrient management plans and windbreak establishment and renovation, as well as climate resilient farming practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote carbon sequestration.
Products made with these grains – such as Central Standard’s distillates – carry a Grown Climate Smart seal, which will now appears on Central Standard’s bourbon, whiskey, vodka,
gin and pour-ready cocktails.
This summer, DeLong opened a newly constructed agricultural maritime export facility on Jones Island at Port Milwaukee.
“By collaborating with Central Standard,” said DeLong Co., Inc.’s Grown Climate Smart Brand and Marketing Manager Dylan Vaca, “we are able to continue sharing the Grown Climate Smart Initiative and highlighting local companies that incorporate sustainable best-practices in their operation and products.
"It’s a win-win for consumers and the environment!”
As DeLong noted in a statement about the partnership, consumers are seeking out sustainably produced products, which feeds into why the USDA plans $3 billion in climate-smart grants in 2023.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
