7 Sustainable Cocktail HACKS you need to know!

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7 Sustainable Cocktail HACKS you need to know!

As a rule of thumb, the higher alcohol percentage of a drink, the higher the carbon footprint.

Spirits actually have a bigger environmental impact than a glass of wine or a beer but this depends on things like if your beverage of choice has been imported.

7 ways to make your cocktails more sustainable:

1. Ditch the straw!

Obvious one, we know. You can actually add some pizzazz to a long drink like a Mai Thai or Gin Fizz with a fun colourful metal straw!

2. Grow your own ingredients!

Rhubarb is an easy growing vegetable and a great flavouring and juice to use in a gin cocktail alongside ginger.

Alternatively cover rhubarb in sugar so the juices are drawn out and then soak in gin, leaving u to two weeks before adding to a tonic for a rhubarb gin cocktail.

Mint grows quickly on your kitchen windowsill and makes a great cocktail botanical – see our guide to windowsill gardening here!

3. Opt for gin based cocktails over rum or tequila

Rum & tequila have the highest environmental impact as they both produce hazardous waste with gin and locally distilled whiskey at the lowest. 

Gin based cocktails include a Bramble, Martini, Sloe Gin Fizz or a Negroni.

4. Go with sustainable brands

With the high environmental impact of distilleries as they require so much water, brands are stepping up to reduce their emissions. 

Absolut Vodka claims to be one of the most energy efficient distilerries, Bacardi have a gloabl environmental initiative to reduce landfill and Bombay Sapphire gin are partially powered with renewable energy.

Fatty’s Organic Pink Grapefruit Spirit drink is half the alcohol and therefore emissions of a regular gin drink. Everything about this Soil Association-accredited gin is organic – even down to the ink on the label.

5. Use an alternate acid to lemon or lime

Citrus is a flavour in around 70% of cocktails but boy do they clock up the air miles getting to our glass! You could get the acidity using Phosphoric Acid, Lactic acid, Citric and Malic Acids, tannins and vinegars, the list goes on.

If you must use lemons or limes then try utilise the whole fruit by peeling rather than squeezing, using the peels for garnish and then putting them to compost or in soil for fertilizer.

6. Swap out imported fruit juices

Passionfruit martini fan? You can still get passion fruit liqueur and cordial that hasn’t travelled across the world to get to you.

7. The obvious option

You could go even greener and make these as mocktails, ditching the alcohol completely – it is only Wednesday!

Want to balance the environmental impact of your cocktails? 

Through the Earth Rewards app, balance 1 Earth Reward per cocktail to offset the 1kg CO2 emissions produced through the production of ingredients!