Rites to Cocktail Energy Conservation
Welcome back earth friends! Thank you for joining me in another week of Modern Planet’s newsworthy material. I come bearing good vibes and questions for you to think about. So for today’s big idea: How are bars extending their planetary outreach? How can we experience all that cocktails have to offer without contributing to the industry’s notoriously wasteful practices? I’ve asked my peers the same question, and did so with a sense of vaguness to open the floor for varying responses from abstract thought processes.
If local restaurants recieved adequate funding or had an increased leverage on their clinetele based on their location, then perhaps the demand alone would be sufficient enough to redesign corporate sustainability initiatives or at least begin considering them. Typically, more “financially liberated” major cities are able to adapt to these new environmental impacts faster than their counterparts. Everybody loves a good ambiance, so experiencing premium ammentities, such as “enlarged invisible ice cubes” and illusory glass mirrors are are things that enhance the experience but require some not so modest capital.
I took a solo trip to Denver and here’s what happened. I spent Tuesday evening at The Source and while I was sitting at the table, I thought to myself, how can I use travel to exercise my contribution to a greener planet and a healthier lifestyle for future generations? I mean I was alone in one of my favorite cities basking in my sense of youthful bravery for solo traveling and indulging in some fantastic brunches and lunches. That’s what brings me into today’s article topic, a concept that I’d like to introduce as Cocktail Sustainability.
It’s about introducing and transforming sustainable and modern production capabilities for spirits. For the sake of my current pinned location, we’ll be deep diving into the tactics that such exclusive venues are already taking to eliminate their energy consumption and forward the knowledge and benefits of agricultural liquor. Fair warning: I am not an expert, but I’ve leveled up at this point, so I’d like to think that I’ve graduated the novice level.
So what makes a cocktail sustainable? Before writing this article, I had a very basic understanding and a few subpar references explaining the latter, but I still wasn’t grasping the complexity of it all. Repurposing efforts such as outsourcing alternative energy and reducing plastics in production facilities are valuable avenues that distilleries are taking to reduce their longterm carbon impact.
In addition, making alcohol takes an enormous toll on the environment, but of course, when someone has been babysitting the same glass, the long term effects may seem less daunting. But while we continue to see an unsettling incline in 30% of all American adults who report amounting 1.35 drinks or less in a day, it goes to show that sustainable alcohol consumption is needed now more than ever. For example, rum remains as the most unsustainable alcohols to produce since its distilling process requires a ton of water, energy and heat to isolate mass amounts of waste and convert the raw sugar into a fermentable consistency. Sugar cane is also notably the most environmentally harmful crop, but this matter won’t be raining on any parades since there’s already such a high demand for sugar cane.
Colorado based distiller, Woody Creek cultivates their spirit collections from locally harvested Rio Grande potatoes. You can check them out when you visit Fire Bar during your next trip to Denver. If you prefer a boldness in burnt cotton candy and citrus notes, then you’ll enjoy their smoked manhattan, formulated with Woody Creek rye and Cocchi di Torino vermouth.
