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> they will plant thousands of non-genetically modified seeds on a commercial farm to ramp up production Why is it relevant if the seed were bred using genetic

by coin 8y ago

> they will plant thousands of non-genetically modified seeds on a commercial farm to ramp up production Why is it relevant if the seed were bred using genetic engineering or conventional?

inimino 8y ago
Because a large part of the US market believes that GMO are dangerous or potentially unhealthy, and this is probably more common feeling in a traditional product like whiskey.
- mc32 8y ago
  A bit ironic if the consumption of alcohol itself represents a greater health risk to its drinkers. TBH, I think it has more to do with the idea of being artisanal and “crafted” by tradespeople. Kind of the same idea as wine from organic grapes.
  - inimino 8y ago
    We've had a few thousand years to work out the health risks of alcohol. The health or environmental risks of GMOs are based on scientific predictions made in the last 50 years, rather than centuries of experience passed down through culture. That seems reason enough for a little more caution.
    - pstuart 8y ago
      Yep. ~88k deaths per tear in US due to alcohol: https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm
      - perl4ever 8y ago
        It doesn't make logical sense in this context to lump all the deaths from doing stupid things while extremely drunk in with the long term health effects, even if it's convenient rhetorically. People concerned with the nuances of fine whisky and the risks of GMOs are likely not the type who are getting blind drunk and winning Darwin awards on a Saturday night.
        HeyLaughingBoy 8y ago
        Oh, you'd be surprised.
hristov 8y ago
Of course it is relevant. Genetic engineering can produce rather different and unpredictable results.
- dvtrn 8y ago
  See I was going about this with the presumption that those results would be studied, reproduced studied more and fully understood before LabCo. Whiskey made it to market. Aren't those 'different and unpredictable results' sort of the point when one aims to 'redefine U.S. whiskey'?
slededit 8y ago
The same reason scotch whisky needs to be from Scotland despite perfectly good whisky coming from elsewhere. It's social signaling which is the bulk of what you pay for in a luxury good.
- madengr 8y ago
  And bourbon from Kentucky.
  - insaneirish 8y ago
    Bourbon does not need to be from Kentucky. Legally, it has to be >= 51% corn mash, stored in new oak barrels, and a few other things.
    - necubi 8y ago
      It doesn't need to be from Kentucky, but it does need to be from the US (in addition to being majority corn, etc.) [0]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourbon_whiskey#Legal_requirements https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourbon_whiskey#Legal_requirem...
justin66 8y ago
> Why is it relevant if the seed were bred using genetic engineering or conventional? Julian Van Winkle once made the point that it doesn't matter how you feel about GMO vs non-GMO, if you want to sell in Europe, you need to use non-GMO corn. I'm not sure how much of that was about regulation and how much was about public sentiment. There's also the risk that regulations or sentiments will get even more unfriendly towards GMO in the time it takes to get the product out the door. It's hard to see how GMO is worth the risk in whiskey. The seed is the cheap part of the manufacturing process.

by coin 8y ago

> they will plant thousands of non-genetically modified seeds on a commercial farm to ramp up production Why is it relevant if the seed were bred using genetic engineering or conventional?

inimino 8y ago

Because a large part of the US market believes that GMO are dangerous or potentially unhealthy, and this is probably more common feeling in a traditional product like whiskey.

mc32 8y ago
A bit ironic if the consumption of alcohol itself represents a greater health risk to its drinkers. TBH, I think it has more to do with the idea of being artisanal and “crafted” by tradespeople. Kind of the same idea as wine from organic grapes.
- inimino 8y ago
  We've had a few thousand years to work out the health risks of alcohol. The health or environmental risks of GMOs are based on scientific predictions made in the last 50 years, rather than centuries of experience passed down through culture. That seems reason enough for a little more caution.
  - pstuart 8y ago
    Yep. ~88k deaths per tear in US due to alcohol: https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm
    - perl4ever 8y ago
      It doesn't make logical sense in this context to lump all the deaths from doing stupid things while extremely drunk in with the long term health effects, even if it's convenient rhetorically. People concerned with the nuances of fine whisky and the risks of GMOs are likely not the type who are getting blind drunk and winning Darwin awards on a Saturday night.
      - HeyLaughingBoy 8y ago
        Oh, you'd be surprised.

hristov 8y ago

Of course it is relevant. Genetic engineering can produce rather different and unpredictable results.

dvtrn 8y ago
See I was going about this with the presumption that those results would be studied, reproduced studied more and fully understood before LabCo. Whiskey made it to market. Aren't those 'different and unpredictable results' sort of the point when one aims to 'redefine U.S. whiskey'?

slededit 8y ago

The same reason scotch whisky needs to be from Scotland despite perfectly good whisky coming from elsewhere. It's social signaling which is the bulk of what you pay for in a luxury good.

madengr 8y ago
And bourbon from Kentucky.
- insaneirish 8y ago
  Bourbon does not need to be from Kentucky. Legally, it has to be >= 51% corn mash, stored in new oak barrels, and a few other things.
  - necubi 8y ago
    It doesn't need to be from Kentucky, but it does need to be from the US (in addition to being majority corn, etc.) [0]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourbon_whiskey#Legal_requirements https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourbon_whiskey#Legal_requirem...

justin66 8y ago

> Why is it relevant if the seed were bred using genetic engineering or conventional? Julian Van Winkle once made the point that it doesn't matter how you feel about GMO vs non-GMO, if you want to sell in Europe, you need to use non-GMO corn. I'm not sure how much of that was about regulation and how much was about public sentiment. There's also the risk that regulations or sentiments will get even more unfriendly towards GMO in the time it takes to get the product out the door. It's hard to see how GMO is worth the risk in whiskey. The seed is the cheap part of the manufacturing process.