Western Grocer Serving the industry since 1916
Sustainability-first approach brings mountain magic to consumers, from glacier to glass
ALBERTA (January 13, 2021) – With the start of a new year, Alberta’s own rök Glacier Water (“rök”) is excited to announce its official launch across the province. In partnership with Rapid Ascent Brewing, rök has developed a truly unique selection of sustainable, glacier water-based beverages that make use of some of the most naturally pure water on earth. Sourced locally at the base of an underground rock glacier in the Canadian Rockies, rök Glacier Water is now available in-store and online in both spring and sparkling form.
Rök Glacier Water is sustainably sourced from a non-fish bearing stream nestled within the legendary Fortress Mountain ski area. This stream flows from a rock glacier buried deep beneath the earth’s surface that has remained untouched by natural disasters and pollutants for thousands of years. Not only is this the only rock glacier water available for purchase anywhere on earth, but rök’s is also one of the only water products available to consumers in an environmentally-friendly canned format. Rök Glacier Water is also used as the perfect, high-quality base for local brews from Rapid Ascent Brewing, which will launch this spring in three varieties: rök Blonde, rök Devil’s Gulch IPA and rök Sorcerer Raspberry Ale.
“It is with great pleasure that we announce the launch of rök Glacier Water, a venture we started with the notion to preserve, enhance and share,” says Michael Wood, President of rök Glacier Water. “The privilege of stewarding this resource has led to a wonderful opportunity to share the exceptional experience of enjoying some of the world’s best water. We look forward to bringing a thoughtful array of beverages to market with a focus on preserving the pristine glacial source they come from.”
The result of scientific curiosity and a series of happy coincidences, rök’s glacial source was discovered on a lease held by Fortress Mountain Resort. With the ability to draw potable water from this source since 1968, only recently has a sustainable way to share it commercially been established through the creation of rök Glacier Water. Through a recent change to a portion of Fortress’ long-standing water licence, the sale of a small percentage of the water from this hidden-away, naturally-renewing resource has now been made possible. As an affiliate of Fortress Mountain Resort, revenues from the sale of rök Glacier Water products will be used as part of an innovative and sustainable solution to fund the redevelopment of the historic ski resort. Ongoing reinvestment of rök Glacier Water revenues will also support ongoing land reclamation efforts, sustainability initiatives, development of educational grants, charitable contributions to the local community and beyond.
Rök believes that intentional sustainability should always be at the forefront of everything it does – from sourcing and transporting water, to packaging and distribution. Rök has gone to great lengths to establish sustainable processes, reduce waste, conserve energy and collaborate with like-minded partners. All rök packaging is currently recyclable, including cans made from 95-100 per cent recycled content aluminum, which is infinitely recyclable, and rök’s can collars are made from 100 per cent recycled cardboard and are 100 per cent biodegradable. Both the aluminum and cardboard used in rök’s packaging can be recycled and used again in a circular economy that prevents it from becoming waste or pollution.
“All of our decisions are led with great intent and we are committed to going the extra mile to keep our glacial resource pristine and our processes sustainable. We also work closely with vendors, governments, industry partners and consumers to ensure the environmental integrity of our operations on every level,” continues Wood.
Rök products can be found at select restaurants and retailers across Alberta, with plans for further growth in distribution later this year. For more information, please visit www.rokglacier.com.
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