Announcing the Winner of Europe's Sustainable Bar Award 2026

Last night saw the first-ever ceremony for Europe’s 50 Best Bars held in De Kromhouthal, Amsterdam, and we’re thrilled to share that the winner of the Sustainable Bar Award is De Vie Bar in Paris.

Previously of The Little Red Door, co-founders Alex Francis and Barney O'Kane have built a business and a sustainability practice deeply rooted in French craft. Sourcing almost exclusively from French producers and artisans, the bar has reimagined what a responsible drinks programme looks like from the ground up, providing a uniquely localised experience that simply could not exist anywhere else.

Our CEO, Juliane Caillouette Noble, said of the win, “De Vie has never been afraid to do things differently, for all the right reasons. This entire project is designed to support and empower French artisans. From replacing industrial spirits with artisan alternatives made from native ingredients through to the materials used in their ceramics, glassware and uniforms, every part of De Vie celebrates craft and connection, giving guests a genuine, multi-sensory sense of place in the process. Much has been made of De Vie’s decision to operate entirely without ice but, as with every choice they make, they have taken the complex reality of water scarcity and found an elegant and luxurious solution that doesn’t leave the guest thinking about deprivation, but rather of beauty. Congratulations to De Vie for standing out as a clear winner of this award.”

Read on to learn more about this incredible establishment.

Creating a sense of place

As mentioned, sourcing at De Vie maintains a laser focus on French producers, spirit makers and artisans throughout. Cocktail menus evolve with the seasons, always prioritising French alternatives rather than importing out-of-season produce, with each drink simply named for the ingredient it’s designed to celebrate.

Aromatics come from a Parisian hydroponic farm, while produce is sourced through long-term partnerships with independent farms across France, and heritage ingredients feature prominently on the menu. In partnership with local distillery Baccae, De Vie uses eau de vies made from French beetroots, apples and grapes as the base for their homemade spirits and liqueurs, replacing industrially produced grain spirits and bringing a true sense of place to every cocktail.

The same attention to detail is reflected in design choices throughout the premises, with circularity a consideration throughout the materials used. The bar counter is made from French volcanic rock rather than marble; coasters are made from recycled wax and deadstock canvas; all of their glassware has been hand-blown by artisans; and Pyrenees wool from farming collectives features in the bar's fixtures.

An elegant approach to environmental impact

Unusually for a cocktail bar, De Vie Bar operates entirely without ice, eliminating the energy and water consumption associated with ice production and storage — increasingly important as water scarcity becomes more of a risk for Paris and its environs. Rather than seeing this as a limitation, eliminating the need for ice has encouraged higher levels of creativity among the team, making their drinks offering even more special.

The team has installed water-saving equipment throughout the bar, and fridges use natural hydrocarbon refrigerants with significantly lower polluting potential than conventional alternatives. De Vie uses 100% renewable energy, and up to 10% of their consumption costs are invested directly into sustainable development projects. They source cleaning and hygiene products through Bio Veba, a French company that produces exclusively in bulk and reusable packaging, minimising cardboard where possible, prioritising natural and biodegradable ingredients and delivering exclusively through electric vehicles.

Throughout the bar’s first year in operation, the team has been carefully building out their liquid library and dry pantry, utilising zero waste and circular cooking techniques to minimise waste from both the bar and kitchen and to bring new life to traditional waste streams. Any organic waste is collected and composted by Les Alchimistes, keeping it out of landfill and supporting a circular urban waste model. Les Alchimistes is a social enterprise that collects compost bins using electric bikes and utility vehicles, and fills 50% of its roles with people from previously marginalised backgrounds.

Interested in how your own sustainability work measures up? Take our free, five-minute Food For Thought quiz to find out, or get in touch to learn how The SRA can support your progress.  

Read more about De Vie on their website. You can learn more about our work with 50 Best here.      

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Lead photo from De Vie’s Instagram page.