From the soil to the seed to the blossom to the ripe vegetable, everything a grower does happens under a watchful eye. Once harvest is complete and the produce is sold, however, it seems like they have no input on how the fruits of their labor (literally) are used.

Luckily, more consumers – and restaurant and bar managers – are focused on sustainability. They want produce that’s good for the planet and good for them, and as that segment of society grows, there are things growers can focus on right up to the plated food or the poured drink.

A panel of experts in this field discussed “Advanced Techniques for Sustainable Bars & Restaurants” at this summer’s Tales of the Cocktail, a weeklong conference that educates, advances and supports a thriving hospitality industry. They began by noting that cultural shift.

The panel said, “Sustainability is a big buzzword in the food industry, with many bartenders changing how they operate to ensure they match the expectations of eco-conscious customers. Some significant trends we’re seeing in the industry are sustainable bartending techniques; reducing food waste; reducing non-food waste; and creating drinks that feature ingredients or techniques with less environmental impact.”

In addition to tried-and-true practices like composting and recycling, they highlighted how important it is to lean into the seasonality of fruits and vegetables, to buy local and to support local farms, businesses and communities. The panel also talked about repurposing items or ingredients.

Their sippable example was a corn husk-infused mezcal. The husks were placed directly in the bottle to help mellow the smokiness of the mezcal, along with an acid adjutant (reused lime husks). To garnish the glass, they used dried corn kernels that otherwise would have ended up as waste, crushed and mixed with salt.

Corn husks helped infuse this mezcal with some mellow corn flavor – and it was served with a dried corn salt rim. The sweetness of the corn balanced some of the smokiness of the mezcal. Photo by Courtney Llewellyn

Renato Tonelli, the beverage training director for Dante NYC, was one of the panelists. When asked about how to source ingredients from the hospitality side of things, Tonelli, who works in Brooklyn, said to always be in touch with local farmers markets, especially because “the seasons change in weird ways now.”

He told purchasers to go directly to farmers for their timelines of when produce will be ripe, so that eating and drinking establishments can change their menus appropriately week to week.

Adam Fournier, the bar director for Spago Beverly Hills, noted that “an estimated 40% of fruits and vegetables are discarded after a farmers market. Individual bartenders can adopt their local market to reduce that waste.”

He explained So Fresh & So Glean, an initiative inspired to repurpose this “unusable” produce into seasonal cocktail syrups. Fournier even created a So Fresh & So Glean cocktail. (Find the recipe at diffordsguide.com/g/1088/garnished-with-good/hive-collective-so-fresh-so-glean.)

As growers, you can partner with your local gleaning organizations to help ensure more of your harvest doesn’t go to waste either. You can also communicate more with local chefs.

Menu design is really important when it comes to seasonality. Tonelli said he offers both a signature and a seasonal menu at his restaurant – highlighting peaches in summer, pears in autumn and mixed berries in spring.

Panelist Laura Newman, bar and beverage consultant, said there will always be leftover ingredients, though, so she wanted to analyze them. In doing so for several establishments, she found ways to lessen and/or reuse “waste.”

One option is the concept of “cross-pollination” – taking “waste” from the kitchen for the bar to use and vice versa. For example, cherry stems, normally not even a second thought, contain just as much flavor as the cherries themselves. They can be used to infuse alcohols or non-alcoholic beverages, like lemonades and teas.

“It’s economic utility,” Newman stated. “Everything is more expensive” – so why not get the most out of everything you purchase? And from the grower’s perspective, why not list the possible value-added opportunities that come with each apple, melon, carrot or ear of sweet corn? Thinking outside the box is highly encouraged.

The panel listed the ways the hospitality industry can become more sustainable, and many of their suggestions pertain to the farmers growing their food as well. They said:

  • Your entire team needs to be on the same page.
  • You need to keep up with advancing techniques.
  • Carefully source ingredients (and for growers, this could be your fertilizers, your seedlings, your containers and more).
  • Think seasonally.
  • Be consistent and organized.

Fournier added, “Do this because you want to. Don’t make it performative.”

This session at Tales of the Cocktail was sponsored by the Diageo Bar Academy, which offers “the ultimate guide to creating a sustainable bar” at diageobaracademy.com/en-zz/home/sustainability. If you want to learn what those on the purchasing side of the food equation are looking for and doing, check it out.

by Courtney Llewellyn