Kelsey Ramage
Owner, Dolly Trolley Drinks, and co-founder, The Trash Collective The International Bartender of the Year at the 2020 Spirited Awards, sustainability pioneer Kelsey Ramage is helping raise the bar for her industry.
As the head barkeep at one of London’s best drinking holes five years ago, Canadian Kelsey Ramage witnessed how much waste—from produce to plastic straws— the bar industry created and took note of its nonsustainable practices. She and partner Iain Griffiths created innovative products and solutions (like a citrus “stock” made from oncejuiced hulls) served at global popup events that were so popular, they started a sustainabilityfocused hospitality company, The Trash Collective.
Ramage came back to Canada to open a highly anticipated bar, Supernova Ballroom, in Toronto in 2019; when it closed in early 2020, she pivoted to creating bottled cocktails under the Dolly Trolley Drinks brand. “Now, sustainability just seems like a normal part of how I make drinks,” she says. Not only bartenders and imbibers but drinks producers have followed her lead: She’s been a Global Sustainability Ambassador for spirits company Pernod Ricard, encouraging conversations
around everything from earthfriendly distilling practices to recyclable packaging.
Ramage’s future plans include reopening Supernova Ballroom and creating training opportunities for bartenders, including those from underrepresented and minority groups. Her advice to help keep your consumer footprint small, “Whether it’s finding a fresh produce box to order online or choosing a local bookstore for a cocktail book you want, shop at local places.”