This year Tales of the Cocktail® will hand out the first-ever Sustainable Spirit Awards to recognizing bars and restaurants and the people behind them for leading the sustainability charge by using a number of green practices while encouraging others to follow their lead. Talesrnis proud to announce the inaugural winners of the Sustainable Spirit Awards: White Lyan in London, Jimmy’s American Restaurant & Barrnin Aspen, Colorado, Tin Roof Drink Community, MariornBatali’s CarnevinornItalian Steakhouse in LasrnVegas, and DemerararnDistillers Limited (DDL) in Guyana, South America. Representatives from each establishment will receive their award during the 2016 Toast to the Tales, being held Wednesday, July 20 at 2 pm in front of the Hotel Monteleone.
“The ingredients that make up the cocktails we love to drink come from the Earth. Sornit only makes sense that we as an industry do everything we can to protect it,” said Ann Tuennerman, Founder of Tales of the Cocktail. “We were so energized by the ideas that people are bringing to the table to make sustainability standard in our industry.”
Criterion for this award was left intentionally open-ended as there are countless ways that bars can show a commitment to the Earth and many costlier sustainable practices might not be an option for all bars. Ultimately, the awards committee looked for bars, restaurants and distilleries that have shown a commitment to sustainability efforts while instituting innovative ideas that could serve as a model for bars around the world. The winners used a wide range of techniques turn reduce waste, conserve energy and use less water.
Griffiths and Chetiyawardana made White Lyan the first bar in the world void of perishables with ingredients made in-house including Chetiyawardana’s own spirits, tinctures, cordials and distillates. Jessica Lischka and the team at Jimmy’s are taking sustainable measures such as removing tablecloths, using hand-made ice, installing energy-efficient lighting, purchasing locally-grown produce and products, and growing herbs for summer cocktails and reducing the collective trash pick-ups by 75%.
Claire Sprouse and Chad Arnholt created The Tin Roof DrinkrnCommunity and launched sustainability efforts in 2014 through projects, beverage programming, education, individual consultations, and community outreach. TinrnRoof Drink uses smart bar design and equipment choice to minimize the water used in ice and cocktail production. For instance, in developing the beverage program at The Bywater in Los Gatos, CA, they built the drinks program around pebble and “Big Shot” machines, which use as much as 50% less water than other ice machines.
“We are absolutely floored that we have been chosen for this award,” said Claire Sprouse and Chad Arnholt, Founders of the Tin Roof Drink Community. “More importantly, this year’s inaugural Sustainable Spirit Award signifies an inspiring trend. In a short time, we can look back and say that the movement towards sustainability is here to stay.”
MariornBatali’s CarneVino Italian Steakhouse and Las Vegas Culinary Director Nicole Brisson was selected for using low-flow sinks, recycling grease soap, using biodegradable straws, composting food waste, and featuring a monthly farmer’s market cocktail.rnDemerara DistillersrnLimited (DDL) uses an anaerobic digester and co-generation plant for converting their spent wash into energy for distillation. They also use a CO2 capture and scrubbing system on their fermenters to make pure CO2 for use in their sparkling beverages. The distillery also reduces the amount of energy required to distillate by increasing the alcohol percentage of their wash.
Demerara DistillersrnLimited (DDL) is a beacon of hope in Guyana,” said Josh Miller, rum enthusiast and the person that nominated Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) for their award. “They are one of the major employers in Guyana, and they are doing amazing things to increase their sustainability. Many rum producers in the region still discharge their waste directly into the ocean, but DDL wastes nothing.”
Tales of the Cocktail returns to New Orleans July 19-24 with an all-new lineup of seminars, tastings, networking events and more. To see the entire schedule of events and to get your tickets, visit TalesoftheCocktail.org.
AboutrnTales of the Cocktail®
Founded in 2002, Tales of the Cocktail® has grown from a small gathering of cocktail lovers into the world’s premier cocktail festival. Each year the international spirits industry is welcomed to New Orleans for a week of seminars, tastings, networking events, and much more. With 200+ annual events developed specifically for bartenders, distillers, and other spirits professionals, Tales of the Cocktail® is the industry’s annual meeting place for the exchange of new ideas, products, and techniques.
Talesrnof the Cocktail® also produces a number of other events and programs such as Tales of the Cocktail® on Tour, Tales 365®, Talesrnof the Toddy® and New Orleans Daiquiri Month, all to further their mission of supporting and growing the international cocktail community.
About the New Orleans Culinary & Cultural Preservation Society
Talesrnof the Cocktail® is produced by the New Orleans Culinary &rnCultural Preservation Society (NOCCPS), a non-profit organization committed torn supporting, promoting and growing the cocktail industry in New Orleans and around the world. In addition to offering opportunities to learn and acquire new skills through Tales of the Cocktail® events and Tales 365®, the NOCCPS invests the proceeds back into the spirits industry. Since 2008, thernNOCCPS has invested more than $600,000 into programs like the CocktailrnApprentice Program, a tuition reimbursement program, the Apprentice medical aid fund, educational scholarships and a new health and wellness program for members of their hospitality industry.
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Ann Tuennerman, 504-948-0511, [email protected]
