Life Cycle Environmental Impacts and Energy Demand of Craft Mezcal in Mexico

Agave distillates, such as tequila and mezcal, are alcoholic spirits representative of Mexican culture. In recent years, the demand for mezcal has increased, and with it the requirement for raw materials, bringing with it a series of difficulties. The objective of this study was to evaluate the pote...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2020-10, Vol.12 (19), p.8242
Main Authors: Maciel Martínez, Jazmín, Baltierra-Trejo, Eduardo, Taboada-González, Paul, Aguilar-Virgen, Quetzalli, Marquez-Benavides, Liliana
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alcoholic beverages
Beer
Beverages
Breweries
Chemical oxygen demand
Composite materials
Crafts
Demand
Energy
Energy demand
Environmental impact
Productivity
Raw materials
Spirits
Sustainability
Sustainable development
Sustainable production
Whisky
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Summary:Agave distillates, such as tequila and mezcal, are alcoholic spirits representative of Mexican culture. In recent years, the demand for mezcal has increased, and with it the requirement for raw materials, bringing with it a series of difficulties. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential environmental impact and energy demand of the production of young craft mezcal from an endemic agave (Agave cupreata) found in the central and southern Pacific area of Mexico. The potential environmental impact of the mezcal studied was obtained through the life cycle analysis methodology using a midpoint approach by the ReCiPe method to calculate the potential environmental impact with SimaPro software (version 8.2.3.0., PRé Sustainability, Amersfoort, The Netherlands). The functional unit is a young craft mezcal bottle of 750 mL with 46% Vol. Alc. The stage of highest contribution to the environmental impact of mezcal was the manufacturing/processing, contributing 59.6% of them. The energy demand of the craft mezcal resulted in 163.8 MJ/bottle of 7.5 dl. The kg CO2eq in mezcal (1.7) is higher than beer (0.63) or white wine (1.01), but lower than whisky (2.25) or pisco (3.62). These findings could allow the search for alternatives for the development of sustainable production.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su12198242