ByIANSlife Features

November 14, 2019 (IANSlife) Sustainable cocktails are the ones which create the lowest amount of waste, and attempt to use all parts of ingredients that go into the recipe. It’s about throwing away less “leftovers” and using the full potential of an ingredient instead.

Hospitality is one of the largest known professions and a trend that starts and grows from within promises a large level impact on society. Being the core hub to handle food & liquor, hoteliers and restaurants not only have a huge responsibility towards the whole ecosystem but also a task to make it a better place for our future generations.

So how do you become more sustainable with your bartending & how do you create zero-waste cocktails that taste good? Gunjan Pal, Head Mixologist at Foxtrot & Sly Granny shares these tips

1) Infusions

The idea is to figure out ways to incorporate the discards of daily used ingredients in the mixes to make the best out of the things we buy daily.

2) Wine is precious. Don’t waste!

Once oxidized, wine can be made into vinegar or reductions for drinks. The kitchen would be more than happy to take that week-old wine for sauces or marinades. White wine syrups work great for gin and vodka cocktails and red wine syrups work great for rum cocktails. So next time, before you see half a bottle of an old chardonnay, think of the ways to make every drop count and not waste it.

3) When Life Gives You Lemons

Citrus is more than juice; it’s a balancing element to around 80 percent of cocktails around the globe. However, there are more ways to add that acidity without the aid of limes and lemons. You could use Phosphoric Acid, Lactic acid, Citric and Malic Acids, tannins and vinegars being a few amongst many. However, if you must use lemons and limes, consider the fruit as a whole. Peeling your citrus first makes the process a bit longer, however, you can use all the peels for infusions, garnishes, dehydrating or tinctures.

4) Dehydration

Dehydrating fruit will last you a lifetime of edible garnishes, they are easier to keep, and they look a whole lot swankier.

5) Fermenting

Fermenting the leftovers of vegetables and fruits, that one can’t infuse or dehydrate, into a soda to use to top cocktails with, for instance, pineapple skins can also be turned into traditional Mexican tepache are one way to go.

6) Grow Your Own Ingredients

It’s an unanimously accepted fact that home grown products are better in quality and terms of health. The lack of  chemicals to make the produce more visually appealing leaves us with a product which is not only fresher but also more aromatic and flavourful. So, growing a terrace herb garden is a great start to the same.

7) Ditch the straws

Use reusable metal & bamboo straws as a tasting spoon when testing your cocktails are a sustainable move towards nature by saying no to plastic and paper usage.

 

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Editing by Aditi Roy