CLOSED LOOP COCKTAILS
Inspired by the farm-to-table movement, cocktail bars are embracing sustainability by utilising local ingredients and upcycling leftovers
With a focus on locally-sourced ingredients and upcycled food and drink, Hong Kong’s newly-opened Penicillin ( penicillinbar.com) is the first in the city to champion a closed-loop model of production and is aiming to be the first “scrap-less” bar in the city. Its star cocktail is One Penicillin, One Tree (whisky, honey, lemon juice, fresh ginger): for every one of these cocktails purchased, the bar will plant a tree in the endangered Kalimantan forest. In keeping with the eco-friendly theme, the bar has partnered with Ecospirits, the world’s first low carbon, low waste spirits distribution technology. Signature bar dishes include fries infused in an ultrasonic chamber with shichimi togarashi spice and lemongrass mayo, and crispy fish tacos with cornmeal-fried snapper, red cabbage, fermented chilli and local citrus.
Awarded the world’s most sustainable bar by the Sustainable Restaurant Association in 2018, Oslo’s
Himkok ( himkok.no) makes 80 per cent of its spirits at its micro-distillery, which is powered by renewable hydro-energy, including Norwegian tipple Aquavit alongside gin and vodka. Its cocktails are crafted using local ingredients like seaweed and buckthorn berries. Bookings for Friday-Sunday must be made at least 48 hours in advance to sample Norwegian-inspired cocktails, or Himkok’s beer, wine, kefir and mead.
At Native in Singapore ( tribenative.com), you’ll find cocktails made from ingredients hailing from the city-state, like mango, turmeric, cinnamon and tapioca, and it also has a range of house gins including chrysanthemum and lemongrass, which are grown in the bar’s urban garden. In a rush? Its bottled cocktails include Forager’s Garden (matcha gin, blue pea flowers, calamansi & matcha kombucha), and it works with local farmers to source the ingredients. As with Himkok, you’ll need to book – try to get a seat in the main bar for a bird’s-eye view of Native’s bartenders in action.
There is no menu at Parisian bar Bisou ( bar- bisou. fr). Instead, customers share their taste preferences and even their mood to create a bespoke cocktail from seasonal ingredients. All juices and syrups are made in-house and it only uses produce from France in its mixes. The cocktails are visually very appealing, with Instagram-friendly floral garnishes and surprising flourishes like peanut brittle sitting atop glasses.