Why Cork?  

The bottles of the six Baladin classic beers (Isaac, Wayan, Nora, Super, Leön and Elixir) and the Riserva Teo Musso range (Xyauyù, Terre and Lune) are sealed with a cork. Why? There are three main reasons: cork is sustainable, as it is a natural, easily recyclable material; we want our beers to be in contact with a natural material, when possible; and we want those who serve our beers to rediscover and enjoy the pleasure of uncorking a bottle.

Cork is a natural product obtained from the bark of an oak tree called “cork oak” - an evergreen which grows in Mediterranean areas such as Italy (90% of Italian cork oaks are in Sardinia), Portugal, Spain, France, Morocco and Algeria. If adequately processed, used corks - which are easy to recycle - can be reused as thermal and sound insulators in the green building and automotive sectors.

Baladin uses agglomerated corks made from Portuguese cork and manufactured by the firm Amorim. We have decided to go for a standard flat cork with no metal cage. The seal is ensured by its mechanical structure as well as by the use of a recyclable layer of shellac. 
 
Birra Baladin and cork: sustainable by nature

Shellac
Shellac is an organic resin produced by a small insect called Kerria Lacca, who lives in the forests of Assam and Thailand. It is harvested directly from the bark where it is deposited. If adequately processed, shellac is a great coating material, both for its hardness and durability. Its main uses are in the field of restoration, polishing and the maintenance of period furniture. 

As it is edible, it is also used as polishing agent for pills and candies, or as a coating for fruit to prevent its decay after harvest. Shellac is a natural polymer and its chemical composition is similar to that of synthetic polymers; it is therefore considered a natural “plastic”. As it is soluble, it is easy to recycle and can be used for the production of candles. 

Baladin uses it to seal its corked bottles. Again, particular care has been given to aesthetics as well as to mechanical functionality: every layer has the same color as the label of the beer it is associated to. It you want to recycle it, our shellac can be used to produce candles, but it is not edible.

How do you uncork our bottles?
You don’t need to be told how to use a corkscrew, do you? We just wanted to show how beautiful it is to uncork a beer bottle. What do you think? And here is the answer to an often asked question: shellac is easily removed, and it does not crumble like sealing wax. You just need a little knife, or you can even carve it with your fingernail, as it is so soft. Cheers!