The campus’s two main buildings, the Creamery and the Mill have both been restored to LEED Gold standards. Bently Heritage’s Mill and Creamery buildings, each over a century old, are some of Minden’s oldest structures, and they’re the heart and soul of this small agricultural town. In addition to being LEED-certified, both the Mill and Creamery sit on the National Register of Historic Places.
Bently Heritage Estate Distillery Announces LEED Gold Certification and Takes The Place As United States’ Only LEED Gold Certified Estate Distillery
Project’s Values and Certification Align with Proprietor Christopher Bently’s Ongoing Insistence on Exemplary Green Operating Practices
Minden, Nevada, March 10, 2020 – Today, Christopher and Camille Bently take another step in preserving the future while celebrating the past, announcing the completion of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification process for the Bently Heritage Estate Distillery in Minden, Nevada. The campus’s two main buildings, the Creamery and the Mill are now both certified LEED Gold. The Bently’s are avid environmentalists and proud to lead another project that aligns with their exemplary green operating practices.
Bently Heritage’s Mill and Creamery buildings, each over a century old, are some of Minden’s oldest structures, and they’re the heart and soul of this small agricultural town. In addition to being LEED-certified, both the Mill and Creamery sit on the National Register of Historic Places.
As an estate distillery, Bently Heritage wanted to safeguard the buildings’ histories while creating an experience rooted in place, process, and preservation. The word “preservation” isn’t just about sustaining a building’s existing form; it’s about protecting the structure for future generations. The team at Bently Heritage spent five years focusing on repair rather than replacement; on maintenance rather than remaking. While simple sounding, it means that some structural pieces of the building had to be removed or rebuilt to fully update mechanical, electrical, support, and plumbing systems. Bently Heritage even had to remove the original roof and then put it back on, piece by piece. Other original materials that were preserved or reused included bricks, timber, railroad ties, rail line, steel elements of the silos, and roof trusses. The construction waste management plan diverted or recycled 64% of construction waste, reducing the need to place usable materials in landfills.
Christopher Bently, Proprietor of Bently Heritage Estate Distillery, stated, “I see no sense in building new structures when we have beautiful historic properties left abandoned. We need a sense of tradition and worth brought back to our culture. A disposable world just won’t do.” Proprietress Camille Bently added, “Just as we are passionate about making spirits that will stand the test of time and be enjoyed for generations to come, we are just as committed to preserving our planet and natural resources for future generations to enjoy. We hope that our legacy will be that of raising the bar for environmental sustainability. Planetary health is something we can all raise a glass to. Cheers to the future.”
Bently Heritage Estate Distillery’s Director of Construction Larry Vincent added, “We knew from the beginning that our goal was to achieve LEED Gold Certification for these properties. With Christopher’s vision and our amazing team, we were able to achieve our goal.”
Achieving certification for these buildings has been critical to Bently Heritage’s ongoing mission to be environmentally responsible. The certification means that 433,814 total annual gallons of water will be saved, 622,473 yearly total kWh, 51,359 annual therms, and $83,202 in total annual energy cost savings. Between both buildings, 386 tons of construction waste/demolition was diverted from landfills, meaning the savings of the equivalent of 1.67 million miles/year driven by an average passenger vehicle, or 79,000 gallons of gasoline consumed, or 11,500 tree seedlings grown for ten years, or 930 acres of U.S. forests.
The Bently Mill LEED project number is 1000058197, and the Bently Creamery is 1000058196.
About Bently Heritage Estate Distillery:
Bently Heritage Estate Distillery’s ultra-premium spirits are made from grain sourced from our land here in Minden, Nevada. We strive to elevate the passion that connoisseurs have for spirits, creating an experience that will be treasured by those who truly understand our mission to explore the abundance that nature offers and innovate on traditional techniques.
Estate Grown:Sustainable grain; oat, rye, wheat, barley, and corn are cultivated on our own land at the Bently Ranch, and processed in our estate Malt House.
Estate Made:Our journey begins when we plant our estate grains on the Bently Ranch. Fermentation, distillation, aging, and bottling all take place within our estate. Spent grains are then returned back to the land in the form of compost or feed for our cattle. This cycle of growth, use, and reuse results in a true expression of the land, the people, our principles, and the artistry that goes into every glass.
The Distillery currently features a multi-floor tasting room that is recognized as one of the must-see spots in the Reno-Tahoe area, and the Distillery now produces two spirit lines, Source One Vodka and Juniper Grove Gin, that are available on the West Coast
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
