Inverness cocktail bar Scotch & Rye is among the finalists in Flor de Caña’s Sustainable Cocktail Challenge
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AN Inverness cocktail bar has been named a finalist in a nationwide initiative that sees mixologists around the country compete to create the best eco-friendly cocktail.
Mixologist from Scotch & Rye on Queensgate, Beth Bircumshaw, has created a new cocktail which will see the bar go head-to-head against bars around the country to be crowned the Sustainable Champion of Zero Waste Cocktail, an initiative by rum brand, Flor de Caña.
The winner will go on to represent the UK on the world stage when the challenge enters its international rounds.
In creating the cocktail, Scotch & Rye was challenged to pair the Flor de Caña rum with ingredients that are seasonal, locally produced or Fair Trade-certified, derived from repurposed food scraps or leftovers.
The challenge saw mixologists use their creativity and expertise to craft a delicious concoction that will help eliminate 15 tonnes of food waste.
Ms Bircumshaw's creation is a cocktail named As Above, So Below, and combines Flor de Caña 12, malic acid, citric acid, and syrup made using discarded mint with rhubarb and kelp cordial - made using Scottish Rhubarb that was past its best, kelp sourced locally and sugar collected from the bottom of the jar containing white sugar cubes.
The recipe is inspired by Plato's words about the deforestation of Athens: “What now remains compared with what then existed is like the skeleton of a sick man, all the fat and soft earth having wasted away, and only the bare framework of the land being left.”
She wanted to create something that had very little to no waste, but that also tied the earth to the ocean.
Now in its second year, the Zero Waste Cocktail initiative seeks to play an active role in transforming the industry by supporting and inspiring bars around the world to adopt meaningful sustainable practices in their everyday operations. As part of this initiative, Flor de Caña has partnered with the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA), a global non-profit that promotes sustainability within the foodservice industry.
Lucy McQueen, UK Brand Manager for Flor de Caña, said: “It has been great to see so many bars across the UK get involved with our Zero Waste initiative. Scotch & Rye impressed the whole team with its enthusiasm and creativity, and the creation is a delicious example of sustainable cocktails at their finest – we are looking forward to meeting our top 10 Sustainable Cocktail Challenge finalists and crowning our UK winner!”
Juliane Caillouette-Nobel, Managing Director of the Sustainable Restaurant Association, added: “We're proud to continue in partnership with Flor de Caña on the Zero Waste Cocktails campaign which excites and engages thousands of bar staff and customers globally on an issue of huge importance.”
The final will take place on July 13 in London, with each cocktail judged by a panel of experts.
For more information on the initiative and all bars taking part, visit www.zerowastecocktails.com.
