In a Quebec where distilleries suffer greatly from competition – there are too many distillers, even in the opinion of this young industry – companies that want to survive must stand out.
Bedford’s Comont distillery has just launched a “carbon neutral” vodka that’s made from amazing ingredients: downgraded vegetables from processor Bonduelle, which produces the Artcic Gardens brand, pie crust scraps from St-Hubert and residues of biscuits or muffins from Nutrifrance, which manufactures bakery products in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
One wonders how a pie dough can become vodka. The question is legitimate…
It all started when the founding couple of Comont, Vanessa Cliche and Samuel Gaudette, were shopping at the grocery store.
“We were looking at Spider-Man and Barbie cakes,” says Samuel Gaudette. I told myself that it was impossible for all this to be sold. I also thought there was a lot of sugar in there and starch. It started that way…”
This idea was born of working with leftover cakes that would probably have ended up in the trash otherwise.
With St-Hubert, “it was love at first sight,” says Samuel Gaudette. “They send us containers of pie crust, tapioca, sugar pies… We take anything that’s for sale in supermarkets, it’s not restaurant residue. It’s from the transformation center. »
Around the same time, Bonduelle, who is in the same region, contacted them to offer to work with surplus vegetables.
The distillery obtained certification after evaluating its manufacturing process with the Center de développement bioagroalimentaire du Québec.
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been calculated for this product from the beginning to the end of its manufacture. Then, the distillery made choices to work with the most ecological materials and raw materials.
For the manufacture of this drink, four tons of raw materials were recovered to make 1000 bottles of vodka.
However, there are some technical challenges in the process, including the conservation of these unusual raw materials which are given a second life.
“We also had to find a mixture for the fermentation to make sense,” says Samuel Gaudette. There is quite a technical challenge here. »
Last – but not least – the taste had to be consistent and neutral, although the distillery works with a wide variety of products.
Comont is a young company, founded in 2020 and based in a beautiful red brick industrial building in the heart of Bedford – where needles were once made. Already at the very beginning, the couple behind the distillery had the desire to produce alcohol in a responsible way.
“We agree that today, everyone is talking about the circular economy,” says Samuel Gaudette. We wondered how we could take it to another level. How to go further than just taking the neighbour’s waste. So we thought we were going to make a zero carbon product. »
V. Zéro is now on sale at the SAQ – but does not carry the vodka name, as it is not made from potatoes.
“It’s a bit flat,” laments Samuel Gaudette, who fears that this will create confusion for both consumers and SAQ employees.
“Is it going to be placed with the vodkas or spirits, randomly?” he asks. It’s going to give us a big marketing challenge…”
According to him, regulations should be adjusted to new processes, particularly when these promote the circular economy. Like that drink that you can’t officially call vodka at the SAQ!
Comont also offers gins, a cherry liqueur and has launched into ready-to-drink.
