A de Fussigny debuts plant-based bottle

by Alice Brooker

Cognac house A de Fussigny has released 2050 Organic Cognac in a plant-based bottle.

The Green Gen Bottle is designed and manufactured in France, and made up of flax fibre, also known as linen fibre, and organically-sourced resin. It is water-soluble. Thomas Gonon, president of Maison A de Fussigny, said: “We are proud to be the first to use the Green Gen Bottle which is not only very resistant, but also 10 times lighter than a traditional bottle. In terms of carbon footprint, we aim to be one of the lowest solutions for greenhouse gas emissions." Linen fibre is known for its resistant and lightweight properties. France is the world’s leading producer of flax plants, which does not involve water-intensive agriculture to grow. To craft the bottle, linen threads are braided and ‘impregnated’ with a resin to create a solid and waterproof shell. Gonon added: "We are on an initial production of 5,000 bottles, and we are not imposing any exclusivity on it so that it can be developed widely in the market. “For us, this bottle is one of tomorrow's premium packaging solutions for wine and spirits. On the consumer side, it is a material to be discovered by its texture, shaking up traditional codes of the bottle and adding a new dimension to the Cognac experience." The bottle weighs approximately 85g, compared to traditional spirits bottles, which weigh between 700g-1kg. A life cycle analysis will be published in October, studying not only the bottles’ greenhouse gas emissions, but other criteria such as its water consumption and impact on biodiversity. The Cognac house aims to be a ‘leader’ in natural spirits with the lowest carbon footprint. The bottle contains A de Fussigny's 2050 Organic Cognac, which is made from eaux-de-vie from organic farms, and aged in French oak barrels. The brand has launched a crowdfunding page on Kiss Kiss Bank Bank to boost the product. Earlier this year, the brand released its Pure Organic range, which includes VS, VSOP and XO bottlings.