Home Bartending But In A Sustainable Way
Do you have a home bar? Interested in creating a sustainable home bartending experience? Then no worries! We have you covered. We have rounded up easy ways for you to turn your home bar into a sustainable space. With these simple tips and methods, you will be able to craft delicious cocktail recipes while also ensuring you are doing your bid to protect our planet! Let’s get started!
Sustainable Practices In Home Bar
1. Use locally sourced ingredients
Choosing organic and locally sourced ingredients is a great way to begin your sustainable journey in home bartending. These aren’t harmful to nature and when you buy locally sourced ingredients, you reduce your carbon footprint. This way, you will also be able to support local farmers and small businesses. If you want to go the extra mile, why not try growing some basic cocktail ingredients like herbs, fruits, and vegetables? It can be a rewarding experience to have your own cocktail garden!
2. Avoid single-use materials
Another sustainable practice home bartenders can follow is avoiding single-use materials such as plastic straws, cups, stirrers, etc. Whether you are hosting a house party, entertaining your guests or simply relaxing with your family, we would recommend opting for eco-friendly alternatives. Some of the reusable or biodegradable alternatives are - metal, bamboo, glass or paper products.\
3. Reduce, reuse and recycle
These are three principles of sustainable living. Reduce waste, switch off appliances and equipment when not in use to save energy, reuse your alcoholic bottles and other containers, recycle materials such as cans and corks, etc. Additionally, when crafting cocktails, there is a good chance that you may waste a lot of ingredients. Here are some examples of you you can do sustainable home bartending - don’t throw away the lemons after squeezing them! You can use it as a garnish. Find different and creative ways you can reduce and reuse your cocktail ingredients.
4. Upcycle to elevate your bar decor
Did you know that you can spruce up your home bar decor with some eco-friendly practices? For example, you can turn wooden crates, vintage suitcases or wine barrels into DIY bar shelves. Instead of buying new coasters, why not opt for DIY creative coasters? Corks from alcoholic bottles or tiles left behind after renovations etc., are great options to turn them into coasters for your drinks. Alternatively, alcoholic bottles can also be upcycled to glass lamps giving an aesthetically pleasing touch to your bar decor.
5. Use homemade ingredients
How about using homemade syrups, liqueurs and bitters for your cocktail recipes? It’s a rewarding experience that will surely elevate your home bartending experience! Sweeteners like simple syrups, cocktail bitters, lime cordials, etc., can easily be made at home. Making your own cocktail ingredients is easy, and fun, and allows you to control the quality and quantity of ingredients. Additionally, you can also experiment with different flavour profiles, craft your own signature ingredients, elevate your cocktail recipes and create signature drinks.
6. Opt for eco-friendly glassware or utensils
Avoid plastic as much as possible. Some glassware and utensils are made from materials that are harmful to the environment or require a lot of resources to produce. Elevate your home bar with eco-friendly glassware such as recycled cocktail glasses, stainless steel bar tools, etc. Straws made of steel or bamboo are also great choices. If you love mixing up tropical cocktails, why not opt for tiki glasses? These are mostly made with ceramic or wooden materials and are definitely friendly towards nature.
7. Use natural cleaning products
Every time you work on a cocktail recipe, it’s natural to have a bar counter messy. Cleaning and maintaining your home bar is essential for both hygiene and aesthetics. Some commercial cleaners may contain harsh chemicals that not only the environment but also your health. We would recommend using natural cleaning products such as vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, or essential oils.
8. Turn your home bar into an energy-efficient space
Appliances and lighting are essential to any space. While setting up your home bar, to save energy and money, we suggest using energy-efficient appliances and lighting that have low power consumption and durability. For example, opt for LED bulbs, mini-fridges, etc.
