How to garnish your cocktails with sustainability in mind
Adding a garnish to a cocktail might be almost automatic for many bartenders – but are they really necessary? When it comes to decorating those drinks, how can you incorporate a more conscientious approach that reduces the waste in your bar?
The history of cocktail garnishes begins with those that played an important function. Garnishes were included in recipes for a reason: they formed essential components of the drinks themselves, whether contributing to flavour or aroma. This is still the case for many of the classic cocktail recipes. Wedges of fruit bring a hint of acidic brightness to a drink; a twist of peel infuses citrus oil into its scent. The cherry in a Manhattan provides a touch of perfumed sweetness, while an olive adds an important savoury note to the classic Martini.
Garnishes with no role other than decoration began to play a role in the 19th century, when it became fashionable for bartenders to add excessive amounts of fruit. In the mid-1930s, with a slingshot effect following the dull days of Prohibition and influenced by the burgeoning tiki trend in the US, cocktails were suddenly adorned with a variety of colourful, fanciful and largely non-edible items. Branded swizzlesticks, paper umbrellas and other bright, often silly and mostly single-use additions were thrown into drinks with abandon. Long after the fashion for all things tiki had fizzled out, these additions persisted, with paper umbrellas a mainstay of many an establishment even through the 90s.
Today, however, priorities have changed, and what once felt novel and fun now seems wasteful. In this article, we explore how to build sustainability into your garnish policy, whether that means eliminating garnishes altogether, reducing the amount of ingredients used in them, using repurposed ingredients, and/or ensuring they create minimal waste.
No garnish is best
Best practice is to avoid garnishes at all, unless they are fundamental to the recipe or add significant value to the drink. Where bespoke recipes are developed in-house, aspire to create only cocktails that are garnish-free as standard. Non-edible garnishes should be avoided across the board.
Use less
Where garnish forms a necessary component of the drink, consider quantities. If you’re making a mojito, can you cut down the amount of mint used in each glass?
Low- or no-waste garnishes
Where garnishes are used, all of them should be edible and it’s important to prioritise ingredients that will generate less waste.
-
Use only compostable items with a reasonably long shelf life.
-
Go an extra step and use garnishes made from waste by-products. If you’re using lime juice to make margaritas, can you use the peel or zest to garnish another drink? If Manhattans are on the menu, can you make use of the cherry syrup in a separate cocktail recipe?
-
Adding a dehydrator to your bar is a fantastic way to use scraps of fruit and veg from your kitchen, creating edible, compostable garnishes that minimise waste in your bar.
-
If your bar has a kitchen that uses tinned chickpeas in one of your dishes, consider using the water drained from the tins, also known as aquafaba. Not only is this a great solution for waste, but aquafaba makes a fantastic vegan alternative to egg whites, creating a smooth emulsion for those whiskey sours.
Garnish with liquid
Try using another liquid with a contrasting colour to garnish a drink; this will be ingested with the rest of the cocktail, creating no waste. These could be bar staples like bitters, or house-made creations that add a pop of colour. Drizzle, float, dash or even use a refillable atomiser to spray over the top of the drink.
Source ingredients responsibly
Make responsible sourcing a key focus when choosing your suppliers. Any ingredients sourced for your cocktail menu – think herbs, spices, fruits, etc. – should be sourced locally and in season where possible. Where ingredients do need to be imported, prioritise those that are produced with environmental and ethical considerations in mind.
For more smart insights into reducing bar waste and minimising your environmental impact, follow Flor de Caña on social media.
Recommended reads
-
How to Tackle Cutting Carbon Emissions in your BarHOW TO TACKLE CUTTING CARBON EMISSIONS IN YOUR BAR -
12 New Year's Resolutions for Your Sustainable Bar12 NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FOR YOUR SUSTAINABLE BAR -
How to Source and Use Citrus Sustainably in Your BarHOW TO SOURCE AND USE CITRUS SUSTAINABLY IN YOUR BAR -
How Your Bar Can Put Sustainable Sourcing Practices in PlaceHOW YOUR BAR CAN PUT SUSTAINABLE SOURCING PRACTICES IN PLACE -
Ice, ice baby: Smart ways to reduce water use in your barICE, ICE BABY: SMART WAYS TO REDUCE WATER USE IN YOUR BAR -
How You Can Get Creative in Reducing Your Bar's Food WasteHOW YOU CAN GET CREATIVE IN REDUCING YOUR BAR'S FOOD WASTE -
Who is the World’s Most Sustainable Bartender 2023?WHO IS THE WORLD'S MOST SUSTAINABLE BARTENDER 2023? -
Announcing a Big Sustainability Win For This Exceptional San Francisco BarANNOUNCING A BIG SUSTAINABILITY WIN FOR THIS EXCEPTIONAL SAN FRANCISCO BAR -
Why Analogue Initiative won the Sustainability Award at Asia 50 Best BarsWHY ANALOGUE INITIATIVE WON THE SUSTAINABILITY AWARD AT ASIA 50 BEST BARS -
Why FYN Restaurant Won the Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award at The World’s 50 BestWHY FYN RESTAURANT WON THE FLOR DE CAÑA SUSTAINABLE RESTAURANT AWARD AT THE WORLD’S 50 BEST -
WORLD’S 50 BEST ANNOUNCES THE WINNER OF THE FIRST FLOR DE CAÑA ECO HOTEL AWARDWORLD’S 50 BEST ANNOUNCES THE WINNER OF THE FIRST FLOR DE CAÑA ECO HOTEL AWARD