Hong Kong and Macao bars join sustainable cocktail initiative Zero Waste Month

These days, more and more bars around the world are finding new ways to solve sustainability issues. In Hong Kong, however, we still have a long way to go, but the industry is beginning to look towards a more sustainable future. Bartenders have been more conscious of using fresh produce the same way chefs use an entire animal from nose to tail and have embraced zero-waste alcohol bottle packaging solutions like ecoSpirits. Last year, we even saw the opening of Hong Kong’s first eco-conscious bar.  

Nicaragua rum Flor de Caña

This month, Fair Trade-certified and sustainably sourced premium rum from Nicaragua, Flor de Caña, is launching a global Zero Waste Month initiative, pooling top bars in more than 30 countries including Hong Kong and Macao to create zero waste cocktails. Zero Waste Month is supported by Food Made Good – a global non-profit that promotes sustainability within the foodservice industry – that worked with bars for the project and tackled sustainable practices for the venue’s everyday operations. 

Argo's Upcycled Gimlet; Ozone’s Green Minded

Argo, Stockton, Foxglove, The Pontiac, Ozone, The Wise King, and Hong Kong Jockey Club’s 360 Bar have prepared sustainable cocktails made with Flor de Caña rum and ingredients derived from the local community and repurposed food or leftovers from their venues. Macao’s Antica Trattoria, Bottles, and ​​Galaxy Hotel’s The Macallan Bar have also crafted cocktails for the Zero Waste Month programme.  

Lorenzo Antinori, from newly opened innovative bar Argo, prepared a summer tipple called Upcycled Gimlet using cordial - made from leftover lemons – mixed with rum and sustainably sourced cocoa from the hotel’s Chocolate Concierge. Over at Foxglove, mixologist Kovic Rai crafted an Above Zero cocktail using a mango seeds-infused Flor de Caña blended with leftover lime peel Saccharum. Other creations include Stockton’s Coco de Caña, The Pontiac’s Old Fashioned twist, The Bunny Shack, The Wise King’s Penicillin twist Rum Healers, and 360 Bar’s El Viaje. 

For more information on Zero Waste Month, visit zerowastecocktails.com and check out the complete list of participating venues per country, including tips to reduce food waste in daily life and information on how bars and restaurants can join this cause.