Leaving a lasting impression on your guests doesn’t mean you have to leave an equally lasting impression on the environment. We are here to show you that with a few simple adjustments, you can craft fantastic cocktails without a trace and that going green can indeed be glamorous.
Ditch the plastic
The most obvious one. From muddlers to jiggers to peelers, there are an array of eco-friendly bar tool options crafted from sustainable materials like recycled plastic, bamboo, stainless steel and wood. Look for long-lasting, quality pieces that can replace disposable plastic or single-use tools over time. Not only is this eco-forward but they tend to be much better quality and look more attractive. Hence for a more effective, longer lasting and professional looking home bar set, it is well worth investing.
Stay on Season
Try and incorporate seasonal fruits and herbs into your cocktails. By doing this not only will you support British farmers and reduce the carbon footprint associated with across the globe transportation, you’ll also get fresher and more vibrant flavours for punchier cocktails.
Go Local
In order to crunch that carbon footprint even further, try and buy your ingredients as locally as possible. This will support local farmers in your community and ensure peak freshness.
Rehome
Get creative and repurpose left over components like juices, bits of alcohol and sodas into delicious new mixes and punches. We are not suggesting literally banging everything together into a jug and saying your hail Mary’s, that would be insulting. But you can selectively bring leftover spirits and mixers together for a harmonious ending. Lots of bases like lemonades, tonics and spirits like vodka are either pretty neutral themselves or are extremely versatile in pairing with other flavours. Most juices tend to mix well together and clearer spirits can often be added on top of each other without causing any serious offense. For example, leftover tequila, rum, soda water, tonics, cranberry and lime juice can be brought together for a serious big hitter; Pink Mojitorito mix.
Bulk up
Buying smaller sized bottles and cans etcetera from supermarkets generates a huge amount of waste over time. Try and shop at for larger format bottles at wholesale retailers to massively cut down on glass and plastic waste. After buying bulk sizes you can then transfer smaller portions to reusable bottles or jars. Its then very easy to make batch cocktails by putting the components together into a reusable container or better yet invest on a glass drinks dispenser for ultimate summer soiree flow.
DIY
Instead of buying premade ingredients try your hand at making your own. You can make home-made juices, syrups, shrubs and even vinegars all of which can and store them up in reusable bottles. These ingredients can then be used to craft fantastic homemade cocktails which tend to produce stronger and more explosive flavours and are completely unique. This massively reduces packaging and also your carbon footprint by making them from home instead.
Shrubs
Leftover fruits and rinds can be macerated in sugar to create a syrup called oleo saccharum, which can then be mixed with vinegar to make cocktail shrubs. Essentially this is a homemade instant cocktail ingredient. Learn more about cocktail shrubs here.
Garnishes
About to throw away leftover fruits and rinds? Woah there partner! These can be used for all sorts of funky shavings and curls for visually impressive garnishes without having to buy more ingredients or expensive premade dried garnishes.
Seek out green brands
Finally, chose wisely when selecting your spirit and ingredients brands and partners. Look for distilleries and brands promoting sustainability, committing to organic farming, water conservation, and energy efficiency during production. Here at Exquisite Cocktails, we pride ourselves on partnering only with sustainable and ethical brands and prioritising locally sourced ingredients.
