The Lincoln is leading the charge towards a greener future for Melbourne’s bar scene

Bar World of Tomorrow is a collaborative initiative and awards program created by Pernod Ricard, Trash Collective, and the Sustainable Restaurant Association. In partnership with Pernod Ricard, Time Out is awarding the first-ever Bar of Tomorrow title to one Melbourne bar that’s going above and beyond to lead a more sustainable bar scene. We’re delighted to announce that the Lincoln is the winner of the inaugural Melbourne Bar of Tomorrow Award. 

The Lincoln impressed the judges with its relatively high supply chain visibility over key areas including provenance, farming practices, energy and waste. 

The venue’s employment policies are solid, covering mental health leave and anti-harassment policies, as well as more standard – yet often overlooked – areas like grievance mechanisms and anti-discrimination. Staff are also regularly trained on responsible service and on the importance of communicating sustainability and provenance with customers.

The judges were also delighted by the Lincoln’s decision to serve house wine on tap. A significant portion of the carbon footprint of a bottle of wine is caused by the weight of its glass packaging. This weight means more energy is required to transport it, resulting in higher emissions. The Lincoln’s decision to buy wine in kegs instead massively reduces the footprint of these wines and the bar overall.

The venue’s investment in infrastructure was also outstanding. The Lincoln has an eWater system which uses tap water, salt and electrolysis technology to generate non-toxic sanitising and cleaning solutions. This reduces their reliance on harmful chemicals and minimises packaging. They also have a Bottlecycler on site, which crushes their glass waste. This means fewer collections are needed, the waste stream is not contaminated, and it all ends up recycled, which is otherwise often not the case.

Congratulations to the Lincoln for leading the way in creating a better Bar World of Tomorrow.