Green Garnish: Why Indian Bars Are Adopting Sustainable Policies

What do the words ¡°Mind of a Coconut¡± indicate to you? The title of a modernist sculpture? Maybe the latest self-help podcast? What if I told you that it is a zero-waste drink that marries tropical and Mediterranean flavours? This clarified cocktail, explained Manoj Singh Rawat, the head mixologist at Kolkata¡¯s Sorano, is made using pineapple skin and leaves. All parts of a lime are included in the clarification process. It¡¯s a sweet, refreshing concoction with a light texture and taste.

Sorano is not the only place offering drinks with a sustainability garnish. As concerns about our environment go mainstream, bars and restaurants, which operate in an industry where excess and waste are a part of the business, are doing their bit to rectify that reputation.

An interesting drink named ¡°Leaf¡± is the star on ¡°The Greener Future¡± menu of Copitas at Bengaluru¡¯s Four Seasons Hotel. The aim of the menu is to use every part of a tree. Leaf is crafted from tequila and betel leaves transformed into ¡°meetha paan¡±, and finishes with a delightful sweetness thanks to the in-house berry syrup.

Circle Timur Berry by Mixologist Sagar Circle, Goa, Anjuna

For some bars in India, turning over a green leaf means investing in ecologically sensitive solutions like local sourcing, reducing plastic usage, and upcycling and recycling waste. These concerns are top of mind for not just bar and restaurant owners but across the F&B value chain.

According to an article published on the Diageo Bar Academy website, ¡°[Sustainability] isn¡¯t just a trend in our industry; it¡¯s a mindset and a movement that we all need to be a part of.¡± Some trends that the article lists include: ¡°Bottled punches and large format drinks to engage large groups; root-to-tip cocktails, using an entire plant; There are diverse alternatives to sugar, acid, artificial colouring, and preservatives. Planning out cocktail menus 3-6 months in advance, reflecting the true seasonality of local ingredients; sustainable working conditions with proper meals, work-day hours, and competitive wages; and community purchase and storage of barware in order to reduce transportation costs and minimise packaging.¡±

Love Local

And the trends seem to be filtering down. Olive, in New Delhi, has implemented a variety of changes: Instead of importing raspberries, the tony restaurant now uses blackcurrants from Uttarakhand; tuna from Japan has been replaced by that from the Andamans. Olterra, a lounge bar in Kolkata, procures artisanal produce from West Bengal, like Bandel cheese, to promote the state¡¯s heritage. Raffles Udaipur uses the husks and peels of juiced fruits and vegetables to prepare a unique range of syrups, stocks, and cordials. Sudhir Ahuja, MD, Beyzaa Hotel and Suites, Kolkata, said, ¡°We make rice beer with local produce to give it a taste of Bengal.¡±

Sudhir Ahuja, MD, Beyzaa Hotel and Suites

Individual efforts by conscious chefs and bartenders can go only so far. Sustainability in bars can really be achieved by the adoption of a management model that emphasises waste reduction, recycling, and energy conservation. Many major hotel chains have committed to eliminating single-use plastics from their operations by 2025, reflecting a broader commitment to sustainability in the hospitality industry. ¡°Implementing some straightforward measures, such as the installation of motion-sensing lights in public areas, repurposing excess ice for mopping and watering plants, and adopting energy-efficient appliances and fixtures, can significantly reduce a bar¡¯s carbon footprint,¡± said Vikram Achanta, co-founder of 30BestBarsIndia.

Vikram Achanta, Co-Founder of 30BestBarsIndia

Using locally available ingredients is another step in the right direction. Sharath Rice, director and co-founder of VRO Hospitality, told me, ¡°We also incorporate local flavours like Malwani spice, gulkand, and tandoori pineapple into our Badmaash cocktails. Our purees and syrups are made from regional treasures like jamun, paan, and marigold flowers.¡± VRO Hospitality is a chain that owns upscale establishments like Badmaash Lounge, Hangover, Mirage, and Nevermind in Bengaluru and Mumbai. Their bars follow the ¡°root to fruit¡± approach, which ensures there is minimal ingredient wastage by using every part of the sourced item, such as pineapple pulp, core infusions, dehydrated skins, and leaf garnishes.

Some restaurants have experimented with sourcing from within the family. Malaka Spice, based in Pune and Nashik, sources all its produce from their on-site hydroponic garden or their farm, Cherish, in Shikrapur. ¡°We put together a series of drinks designed around our farm¡¯s produce and went further to implement our philosophy into our new bar menu,¡± said Ilvika Chandawarkar, the restaurant¡¯s manager of research and business development.

Simple Solutions

Compost making at The St. Regis Goa Resort

Growing on site has caught the fancy of resorts as well. At St. Regis Goa, food waste from the main kitchen is converted into manure through an organic waste converter. When the resort reaches full capacity, the total daily kitchen waste measures 350¨C500 kilograms. The converter was set up over a decade ago and is operated by about three people. The compost is used in the spice and vegetable gardens of the resort, which yields herbs like lemongrass, galangal, and pandan leaves, which then make their way to the bar. Pradyumna Shanker, the chief mixologist at the resort, also told me that they have completely stopped using all plastic straws and bottles.

Pradyumna Shanker, Chief Mixologist, St. Regis Goa Resort

By using simple swaps like glass instead of plastic, reusing sunboard for coasters, starch straws, and paper packaging, other bars have also taken the plastic-free approach. Stanley Fernandes, corporate bar manager, Kyma, BKC, said, ¡°Very early on in our bar set up, we realised the amount of waste that occurs daily in the F&B industry, and so we decided to focus on sustainability and low waste in our operations.¡± Kyma avoids the use of non-biodegradable substances like little umbrellas or plastic straws. On weekends, the bar hands guests their unfinished drinks in paper cups.

Ensuring that nothing goes to waste needs both thought and action to move in tandem. The brine that preserves jalapenos and olives is often discarded, but at Roxie in Bengaluru, this turned into an opportunity. ¡°During our latest cocktail festival, Pickletales, we used the brine to create delectable drinks, while the sugar solution from canned fruits was used to make cordials,¡± said Umesh Chettri, the restaurant¡¯s head bartender. State-of-the-art equipment ensures that citrus fruits like lemons are juiced 100%, after which the peels are used to make things like limoncello. Old milk is used for milk-fat washing drinks.

Beer courtesy Beyzaa Hotel and Suites

Being sustainable, however, is not without its challenges. The first hurdle is convincing and training the staff. ¡°We use fruit peels to make medicines or ferments for the plants, or even natural insecticides. It is hard to explain all of this to the staff and then get them to be on it,¡± said Keith Menon, co-owner, Circle, Goa.

As the sustainability movement gains traction, bars have to craft stories that resonate with their patrons, several of whom are demanding more from their food and drink. As bars go eco-friendly the world over, here¡¯s hoping Indian ones stay the path.