“We want to take a leadership role and we want people to learn about sustainability in bars at our new bar academy on the site.”
Bombay has addressed one of these ‘outsider’ issues. The plastic straw. In the August edition of DI, Jan Warren argued the case for metal straws to be introduced across the bar scene to reduce unnecessary waste. But Bacardi has taken a step further, no straws at all.
A member of the Bacardi team adds, “Though it may seem to be a small and simple change, the removal of plastic straws and stirrers at in-house Bacardi events and brand homes and visitor centers is already making an impact in the fight to curb a very pressing environmental issue.
“By getting rid of straws in-house, Bacardi has already prevented an estimated one million straws and stirrers from entering landfills and/or oceans.”
Nine Lives bar in London has also jumped on the sustainability trend. It uses bamboo straws which add an extra £1 to each cocktail, an initiative to offer a more sustainable straw option or deter people from using them at all. The bar is also aiming to use its back garden to provide all of its cocktail garnishes, and the waste from this will be food for its worm farm, which then creates the fertiliser for its garden – the perfect circle.
Ultimately however, there is a long way to go before the major players in the drinks industry can balance its output and input to the environment, but the Bombay Sapphire distillery is guiding the path towards a sustainable spirits future. But a bigger initiative across the board is desperately needed in order to make a positive impact on the planet’s resources. Otherwise there could be a world with without gin, and nobody wants that.
