Employing more sustainable practices behind the bar is a growing trend in the industry, and one born of necessity. “In my experience, the restaurant and bar industry generates a significant amount of waste, and having worked in this industry for many years, it’s become increasingly clear to me that the implementation of more sustainable practices is essential,” notes Manuel Zuluaga, head of mixology for Miami-based Riviera Dining Group. “Throughout my travels, I’ve had the opportunity to visit various bars around the world and I’ve been inspired by the diverse sustainable practices that I’ve encountered. One particular establishment that left a lasting impression on me is Alquímico in Cartagena, Colombia, which is committed to growing the majority of the produce used in the bar directly on their own farm. This approach not only ensures the freshness and quality of their ingredients but also significantly minimizes their carbon footprint.” 

Maxwell Reis, beverage director at Mírate in Los Angeles, points out that it can be a daunting task to lessen your bar’s waste—but it’s worth it. “There are so many unforeseen sources of waste, including things like the pulp from juicing, or the bits of matter you strain out of a batch, or the waste from the wall of the centrifuge,” he says. “It requires innovation to cut down on this waste, which isn’t always easy but it’s important to commit and see things through. It’s rewarding learning to overcome these challenges until it becomes second nature.” Reis adds that while guests often aren’t aware of the environmental implications of their cocktails, they’re receptive to learning more about the bar’s sustainable practices. “When you manage to communicate the effort you put in, many of them are impressed at the attention to detail,” he says. 

Zuluaga notes that consumers are increasingly mindful of the products they consume and the ethical considerations surrounding their production. “This heightened awareness has led consumers to show a preference for businesses and initiatives that prioritize sustainable, environmentally friendly, and ethical practices,” he says. 

Indeed, in addition to being good for the environment, sustainable practices can be good for business too. “With just a few changes, bars can positively impact their bottom line and the environment to be overall more sustainable,” says Karl Goranowski, beverage director for Barbata in Tucson, Arizona. “If a bar isn’t ready to go completely to zero waste, there are still several techniques and practices they can implement to work toward that goal.” 

Conscious Collaborations

Emily Freeman, bar lead at Mägo in Oakland, California, has incorporated environmentally friendly bar practices since her start at the restaurant, which had already been operating with an eye on sustainability. “There are a multitude of ways that a bar can mitigate waste, and one of my favorites is working in a collaborative environment with the kitchen,” she says. “I have supportive relationships with the kitchen staff with open lines of communication and access to their resources. I can grab scraps and leftover items that don’t make it to the plate, which not only reduces waste but offers me a creative pathway to experiment with ingredients I would otherwise maybe not have thought of or would have needed to specifically ask for but might not have been able to justify a minimum quantity order. Some of my favorite cocktails have been born this way.” 

Some examples of Freeman’s cocktails that feature kitchen leftovers include the Fallen Fowl ($16), blending Redwood Empire Bourbon, which Freeman washes with either goose or duck fat depending on what’s available from the kitchen, plus New Deal Cascara liqueur, St. George Baller American single malt whiskey, and Bittercube Cherry Bark Vanilla bitters, garnished with a dehydrated black mission fig; and the Jugo de Vida 2.0 ($16), comprising Mezcal Metiche Salmiana 40, Giffard Lichi-li lychee liqueur, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, and a purée of leftover nopales from the kitchen, plus pineapple, epazote, habanero pepper, and water. 

“Sustainability is not just a goal, it’s our guiding principle to help eliminate waste,” says Ashley Castillo, director of food and beverage at The Westin Atlanta Gwinnett hotel. “It’s important that the front-of-house works collaboratively with the kitchen. Any citrus that we peel for garnish at the bar is given to the kitchen to use in brines and marinades, as well as juice for cocktails; the kitchen uses a chili crunch product in some dishes, and the bar uses the leftover oil from the jars to garnish drinks; and bruised or loose herbs and things like mushrooms are also used in our cocktails.” At the hotel’s SweetSong Kitchen & Bar, Castillo’s non-alcoholic Summer On My Mind ($16) features house-made ginger and thyme lemonade and Fever-Tree club soda, topped with chili oil, and at the hotel’s rooftop bar Overstory, her non-alcoholic El Dorado ($16) makes use of leftover mushrooms and rosemary from the kitchen, mixing Bare Zero Proof Reposado Tequila, house-made forest tea, which includes chamomile and rooibos tea and mixed mushrooms, and house-made rosemary syrup. 

In addition to incorporating leftovers from both the bar and kitchen into his cocktails, Riviera Dining Group’s Zuluaga also notes the importance of working with sustainable spirits brands. “We’ve established partnerships with several brands known for their dedication to sustainable practices and their commitment to becoming carbon neutral,” he says. “For example, Flor de Caña has implemented various progressive initiatives aimed at reducing its environmental impact and ensuring sustainability throughout its operations.” At Riviera Dining Group’s Ava MediterrAegean in Winter Park, Florida, Zuluaga’s The Awakening ($25) comprises coconut flakes and oil-washed Flor de Caña Eco 15-year-old rum with house-made Champagne cordial, made using leftover flat Champagne; house-made banana oleo saccharum, made using banana peels that would otherwise be discarded; and house-made Makrut lime sherbet, made with the whole lime to avoid waste; topped with a spritz of house-made palo santo tincture. Zuluaga adds that the company is working toward opening a new a centralized production facility to further its sustainable practices. “This facility will consolidate production across our restaurant locations, helping to streamline our cocktail program, minimize waste, enhance consistency across our locations, and optimize labor resources.”

Freeman also places a great deal of importance on spirit sourcing at Mägo. “I try wherever possible to support brands that produce in smaller batches and operate with a focus on sustainability and social responsibility, with bonus points for being a local distillery that can self-distribute, which cuts out an extra delivery to a warehouse before landing in the restaurant,” she says. “I had worked for restaurants in the past that had beverage programs that incorporated some smaller, more sustainably-focused brands here and there, but there’s a lot of pressure to include popular, trendy, big brands that are asked for by name. The average guest tends to order what they’re familiar with and completely overlook an alternative option, in turn reducing sales of the lesser-known smaller brand and making it harder to justify keeping it on inventory. This inspired me at Mägo to remove the mass-produced brands altogether from our list to force the conversation to introduce our guests to something new they otherwise wouldn’t have opted for.”

Mírate’s Reis notes that his guests seem most receptive to hear about his sustainable practices when it comes to where he sources the spirits he uses. “I think this is because it affects people and culture in a more direct and literal fashion—it really cuts to the core of our guests,” he says. “Sustainable spirit sourcing has become the building block of my program—it only makes sense to go from tip to tail—and it’s great to see guests really get behind it.” His El Repostero ($20) highlights three eco-friendly Mexican brands: Cañada rum, Banhez Destilado de Piña smoked pineapple brandy, and Alma Tepec pasilla mixe liqueur, plus house-made clarified lime cordial.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Reis notes that he and his bar team aim to build every cocktail with the goal of minimizing waste. “We think of it from the ground up,” he says. “More often than not we achieve this through techniques such as cordialization, fermentation, and pickling, and creative garnishes upcycling potential waste.” His Tu Compa ($21) is a force-carbonated cocktail featuring Cascahuín Plata 48 Tequila, Nami Junmai Ginjo sake, Granada Vallet bitter pomegranate liqueur, house-made Squirt cordial, pulque, and water, garnished with house-made grapefruit spray and served in a glass rimmed with house-made pulque paint.

Creating cordials, syrups, and other house-made ingredients from items that would otherwise quickly expire is a great way to extend the items’ shelf lives and increase their value. “After our production processes, we make sure to repurpose many of our byproducts,” Zuluaga says. “For example, the fruit pulp left over from juicing is transformed into garnishes in the form of fruit leathers. Additionally, we take the trimmings from our citrus peels and infuse them with sugar to create an oleo-saccharum. This way, we ensure that we utilize all components of the fruits to the best of our abilities and minimize waste.”

At The Westin, Castillo’s cocktails are frequently garnished with items given new life. “Over-ripened fruit such as oranges and strawberries are dehydrated, extending their shelf lives, to use as garnishes,” she says. “The kitchen uses edible flowers, but there are always loose petals—we’ll use those as a garnish element as well.” At Sweetsong, her It’s a Southern Thing ($16) comprises Wheatley vodka, Doladira alpine liqueur, house-made kudzu syrup—comprising pineapple, strawberries, dried lavender, sugar, and water—Fee Brothers Orange bitters, and Fever-Tree club soda, garnished with leftover edible flower pieces and a dehydrated orange wheel.

“The scraps, stems, and ‘ugly’ bits of things like alliums or mushrooms can be dehydrated, ground, and turned into house-made spice blends and great ingredients for salts and garnishes,” Mägo’s Freeman says. “We also incorporate a lot of ferments—these items have a longer shelf life and you can use the unattractive and inedible portions of produce such as the skins, cores, and over-ripe and bruised parts. We make things like kombucha, tepache, or fermented fruit juice as cocktail ingredients and beverages.” Mägo Chef Mark Liberman’s Tepache ($8) is a non-alcoholic fermented pineapple soda made using the peel and rind of the pineapple used to make the purée in Freeman’s Jugo de Vida 2.0 cocktail, plus brown and white sugar, cloves, star anise, and water.

At Barbata, preservation techniques are a big part of how the bar manages its waste. “We aim to use all parts of perishable ingredients, such as by making cordials with juiced halves or pre-peeling garnishes,” Goranowski says. “We also use preservation techniques such as infusions, dehydration, clarification, and syrup-making to take items that would only be available for a limited amount of time and make them last for as long as possible. We use fermentation to make vinegar from our leftover wines and over-ripe fruits.” Goranowski’s non-alcoholic Mulberry Byway ($9) features soda water and house-made mulberry honey shrub, which is made using a house-made red wine vinegar from leftover wine, plus local mulberries and honey, and lead bartender Andrew Scheerens’ Catalina Iced Coffee ($15) blends Hine Cognac, brown butter-washed El Dorado 5-year-old rum, house-made coffee liqueur made using spent coffee grounds, and house-made cacao husk liqueur, topped with house-made vanilla cold foam. “We are continually inspired to prioritize sustainability because it presents endless opportunities to be creative with unique flavors and it gives us the space to be able to show our guests the possibilities of what can be done with a cocktail program using historical preservation techniques,” Goranowski adds.

Freeman similarly appreciates that the task of minimizing waste challenges her creatively. “Besides that personal benefit, one of the biggest benefits is cost control—reducing and reusing is just simply good for business, not just the environment,” she notes, adding that she believes sustainability in the food and beverage industry is trending in a promising trajectory. “We’re seeing more distilleries make adjustments and investments to their practices, and more restaurants focus on seasonality and local ingredients,” she says. “However, the baseline in which restaurants operate and the industries that support them still have a long way to go. Even here at a very conscious restaurant within a very conscious city, there are still unsustainable practices that are unavoidable and I don’t think that any restaurant can claim to be zero waste in the current infrastructure that exists. I think we’ll continue to see companies emerge with a sustainable ethos in mind and in turn one day I hope to see sustainably not as an ‘alternative,’ but as a baseline.”

Mírate’s Reis is hopeful that as more sustainable bar programs receive praise for their efforts, the trend will grow. “Positive reinforcement goes a long way,” he says. “My favorite thing in the world is when younger bartenders take notes from our sourcing practices and emulate them—it makes me feel like everything we go thorough to get here is worth it.”