The Temple Bar Pub

Our work is to establish and conserve permanent native woodland in Ireland, encouraging land regeneration and biodiversity. What inspired you to work with Hometree?
As lovers of great Irish whiskey, we know how important oak is in giving our whiskey its special taste. This is really clear in our Temple Bar Whiskey range, which brings together resources from all over the world, and at 'The Whiskey Reserve', home to the largest collection of whiskey in Ireland. Each oak cask is a vessel of tradition, infusing our whiskey with its unique character. However, this tradition also comes with a responsibility towards the natural world from which we draw our resources.

In an effort to harmonise our use of oak and other natural resources like water and grain with environmental stewardship, we have initiated a dedicated program aimed at restoring and nurturing natural ecosystems. We understand that while we rely on these resources to perfect our whiskey, we must also ensure the continuity and health of the planet. Our commitment goes beyond just using the oak; it's about giving back to this world that gives us so much.

You will not see some of the trees you are planting reach maturity, what has inspired such a long term vision?
Our inspiration for this long-term vision stems from a deep-seated respect for nature and an understanding of our role as stewards of the environment. The realisation that we may not see all the trees we plant and ecosystems reach maturity is a humbling reminder of our place in the grander timeline of nature. It's not just about what we can gain in our lifetime, but what we can leave to future generations.

This long-term vision is our way of expressing gratitude to the earth and paying it forward to the generations that will follow, ensuring they inherit a world as rich and vibrant as the one we enjoy. We hope to inspire others in a quest to restore natural ecosystems lost to human activities.

Have there been any key moments you can share about how you or your organisation decided to support a more abundant and healthier world?
The pivotal moment for our organisation's shift towards supporting a more abundant and healthier world came during a whiskey tasting event. As we delved into the intricacies of whiskey production, we learned about the soaring demand for Irish whiskey globally. Facing unprecedented demand, many Irish whiskey companies are continuously expanding, building vast warehouses each month capable of storing up to 30,000 casks each, highlighting the industry's rapid growth and the increasing need for additional resources. This staggering figure laid bare the impact of our rapidly expanding industry on local and global ecosystems. This realisation was a wake-up call. It highlighted the environmental cost of our industry's growth and made us acutely aware of our own contribution to resource consumption, especially with the expansion of our whiskey line. We understood that every cask, every bottle, comes with an environmental footprint.

Confronted with this truth, we decided that it was imperative to take proactive steps towards environmental sustainability. Supporting the restoration of ecosystems through initiatives like tree planting became not just a choice, but a responsibility. This small gesture marks the beginning of our journey towards a more sustainable business model. We see it as an essential step in aligning our operations with a vision of a greener, more vibrant planet. In essence, it's about recognizing our impact and taking meaningful action to mitigate it. Our commitment to sustainability is evolving, and this initiative is just the first of many steps we plan to take in our quest to contribute positively to the world we all share.