Earth Day Cocktails and Industry Sustainability Efforts
Earth Day is just around the corner so there’s no better time to highlight the growing trend of herb-enhanced and sustainable cocktails along with brands making sustainable efforts! Check out the below for some inspiration and products working on making a change!
Trading Post
Simple. Zesty. Bursting with flavor. This effervescent drink achieves maximum flavor with minimal effort. But don’t skimp out on the shiso leaf garnish—it adds a bright nose to the cocktail, reminiscent of mint or basil.
1 oz Broken Shed Vodka
3 oz lime and yuzu soda
Garnish: 1 shiso leaf
Add Broken Shed Vodka into a glass filled with ice. Top with lime and yuzu soda and stir. Garnish with the shiso leaf.
Second Nature
Broken Shed. Crushed ice. Lychee, coconut, lime juice… and the surprising kicker – lavender bitters. This tropical yet floral cocktail is the perfect way to cool off by the pool.
1.75 oz Broken Shed Vodka
1 oz unsweetened lychee purée
0.75 oz coconut syrup
0.5 oz fresh lime juice
1 dash lavender bitters
Garnish: mint bouquet
Short shake all the ingredients with 3 ice cubes, then strain into a highball glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with the mint bouquet and serve with a straw.
Mother Earth
This simple cocktail is a harvest of flavors and tastes like springtime.
1 oz. Kettle One Botanical Cucumber + Mint
0.5 oz. Elderflower Liqueur
1 oz. freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
1.5 oz. Sparkling Wine
A Long Thin Cucumber Slice
Combine the Ketel One Botanical Cucumber + Mint, Elderflower Liqueur, and Fresh Lemon Juice in an ice-filled shaker and shake for at least 15 seconds. Strain into a Champagne Flute and top with Sparkling Wine. Immerse the Cucumber Slice in the glass and serve.
If you are not looking to have a cocktail, can we offer you some Champagne!? Champagne was the first wine-growing region in the world to implement a carbon footprint assessment and identify the main sources of emissions. Since the region’s carbon footprint plan was enacted in 2003, the CO2 emissions generated by each bottle of Champagne have been cut by 20 percent. The Champagne region aims to achieve a 75 percent decrease by 2050. Great stuff from our friends in Champagne!
Below are a few other brands and spirits that are working on sustainability efforts across our industry!
Ilegal Mezcal – the leading artisanal mezcal – has just shifted to 100% recycled glass bottles. All Ilegal Mezcal bottles will now be made by a family-run company that recycles 10,000 tons of glass each year at its facility in Jalisco, Mexico. A full press release can be found here. Using only fully mature 100% sustainable espadín agave, Ilegal mezcal contains no artificial colors, yeasts, flavors, or additives. Waste water at the distillery is treated and then re-used for distillation, and agave fiber waste is transformed into adobe style bricks used at the facility.
Novo Fogo Cachaça is a carbon-negative producer of USDA-certified 100% organic cachaças (Brazil’s national spirit that is known as rum’s older cousin) handcrafted at their zero waste distillery using methods that prioritize environmental and human sustainability. Their line of cachaças include a silver cachaça that is the first carbon neutral product on the market.
Have a safe and happy Earth Day and as always…. #TipYourBartenders ! Cheers all!
