American Single Malt Whiskey producer Westland Distillery announced it has earned B Corp Certification, which demands adhering to the highest levels of social and environmental performance, public transparency and accountability.

Administered by the nonprofit B Lab, B Corp certification puts Seattle-based Westland within a global community of for-profit leaders pledging to use business as a force for good – making decisions based on their positive impact on people and the planet. To become a Certified B Corporation, companies undergo a rigorous review of the impact of their operations and business model on their workers, customers, communities and environment, and must meet a minimum verified score on the B Impact Assessment.

“Achieving B Corp status has been central to Westland’s mission since its inception,” Jason Moore, Westland Distillery’s Managing Director, said in a news release. “When we speak of being ‘thoughtfully made,’ we don’t just mean our award-winning single malts. We strive to be thoughtful throughout every aspect of our business, which is why the entire Westland team is so immensely proud to achieve this incredible milestone.”

Central pillars of the B Corp verification process evaluate such tenets as transparency; the health, wellness and safety of workers; customer satisfaction; environmental impact, and relationships with local suppliers.

“Knowing our farmers and grain breeders directly, plus our work with Washington State University’s Bread Lab, are critical to our success with our community and our resulting whiskies,” Master Distiller Tyler Pederson, said.

Pederson oversees the creation of Westland’s Flagship American Single Malt Whiskey and the Outpost Range of limited edition single malts: Garryana, which showcases the Pacific Northwest’s rare indigenous oak Quercus Garryana; Colere, which showcases local barley varieties source through local farmers, and Solum, which is the first nationally released American whiskey peated with American peat.

“Pioneering the use of American peat, working to preserve and replant Quercus Garryana oak trees, and achieving Energy Star certification are just some of the steps we’ve taken in our comprehensive approach to sustainable practices,” Pederson said.

Westland invests in technology that ensures optimal environmental impact throughout the production process, such as employing a cooling tower to recycle water for condensers and thereby reduce water waste.

“Westland is an open book when it comes to transparency,” Moore said. “We find that sharing as much information about sourcing and production as possible – especially with our whiskey releases – is what sets us apart.”

This sharing philosophy is central to the Tasting Room visitor experience at Westland in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood, where guests receive comprehensive information on every aspect of the Westland story in addition to tasting their award-winning American single malts.

For information about Westland, please visit www.westlanddistillery.com.