The Trend of Sustainability and How to Incorporate it Into Your Bar Program

In today’s global society people are going out of their way and voting with their feet and their wallets in support of companies and business that follow the same moral principles as they do. The current worldwide trend in moral principles are sustainably and taking the planet into consideration with every action. If you incorporate this into your bar it won’t only help the direction of your moral compass, and the planet, but could also save you money and create new returning customers. Here are a few easy ways you can incorporate sustainability and supporting a healthy planet into your bar program.

Local and Seasonal Ingredients

Local and seasonal ingredients, because of their abundance and close proximity to your location, have a lower carbon footprint and are much more sustainable that ingredients shipped in and grown out of season in climate controlled greenhouses. Often, they are also tastier and fresher because of the above factors.

Local and seasonal are trends in themselves and, as such, are becoming more widely available. This means that these elements of sustainability are very common and very easy to participate in.

Trash the Plastic

There are now many alternatives out there to plastic straws and they are becoming more and more popular as bars wake up to the sustainability movement. Some large beverage distributors and individual spirit brands, like Bacardi, are catching onto this trend and asking bars that serve their products to trash the plastic. Contact your beverage supplier and see if they’re getting onboard with these programs and see if there’s anything they can offer you.

Citrus Alternatives

Sour is one of the five basic tastes and behind the bar we use the acid from citrus fruits to add it to cocktails. These citrus fruits often travel from far and wide, giving them a huge carbon footprint, and carbon footprints are one thing people are starting to pay attention to nowadays. Alternatives are available in the form of citric acid, lactic acid, tannins, and many other varieties. The good news is that these forms will also be cheaper for you to purchase and the price is not going to fluctuate with the seasons.

Using all of Your Herbs

Herbs are a product with a short shelf life. If they’re reaching the end of their lifespan consider making syrups out of them. It saves wastage, significantly increasing the products lifespan, and prevents you from having to buy excess.

When we use herbs we use the leaves and throw away the stems however, the stems have just as much flavor in them as leaves, sometimes more. You can use these to make syrups and utilize them in speciality and classic cocktails. Think of a mint simple syrup for mojitos, mint juleps and whiskey smashes. It allows you to utilize the whole plant, use less mint leaves in the making of the cocktail, and therefore it’ll save you money over all.

Glass Recycling

A glass recycling program is an easy project to implement and a step down the right road for the planet. A glass recycling program is a visible sign to your guests that you’re making moves in the right direction, especially if you’re one of a select few locations to partake in such a program. Contact your local authority to see if they offer this program, if they do this will be very easy for you to implement.

With global opinion shifting toward saving the planet bars and restaurants around the world are coming up with all sorts of creative ways to contribute to the health of our planet. Above are some simple actions you can undertake in your location to do your part for saving the planet, if you can find something more creative you may gain a reputation for your forward thinking and contribution to the health of our planet, and this can only be good for business.