WASTE NOT WANT NOT, TRASH TIKI COCKTAILS

Trash Tiki Cocktails have been labelled the future of bartending. Iain Griffiths and Kelsey Ramage, founders of Trash Tiki, one of the leaders in the movement, tell us how they have taken the Trash Tiki concept around the world. We speak to Iain and Kelsey to find out more about their journey and how to create the perfect sustainable cocktail serves.

Waste not, want not

Trash Tiki has steam rolled beyond our wildest imaginations. It first came up as more of a conversation that we both were having about what we could do in the (Lyan) bars that we were working in at the time. There was a big realisation during that time that firstly, bartenders and consumers alike still really didn’t understand what a sustainable bar program was and thus considered it to be complicated and unattainable for the average person.

Secondly we were seeing request after request for 5 Tips every bar can do today and similar topics, before stepping back to realise the set of ingredients and equipment each bar, professional or home, has is completely different and so rarely can every venue do the same thing.

Finally we realised sustainability needed a face lift. It had been wheeled out again and again as a new trend yet seen at very few venues and thus quite rapidly become something boring and played out. We knew then as we know now that this idea is one that has its place behind every venue around the world and it was simply a matter of finding the right vocabulary that got more people inspired to give it a try.

Better than we could have ever imagined

We set out to create ingredients from waste, initially, to show that you can get flavour out of almost everything that we’ve come to consider trash. Simple, or so we thought. Then post the recipes in an online platform, via our website, trashtikisucks.com. This idea of an open source recipe book if you will was really all we ever hoped Trash Tiki would become, a resource for anyone to use. Then came requests for a few pop ups, and the rest as they say, is history.

Trash movement

In the end, whether you call it sustainable, anti-waste, low impact or anything else, the importance of the Trash Tiki movement is to understand that real success will only happen, when everybody is doing it. It is about educating everyone on both sides of the bar to respect the produce and ingredients we’re so lucky to have at hand, and allow that respect to follow through with a creative program.

Trash Tiki is not a trend, but a chance for the bar world globally to change how we do, what we do, with the right degree of respect for the produce we use.

Tops tips on how to create the perfect trash tiki serves

One thing we’re stoked to have learnt and come to define, is that there is always at least one small change every venue can implement. We need to end single use ingredients in the bar world.

Fresh produce is a wonderful advent of the craft cocktail culture we can often take for granted. However every venue needs to ensure that any produce that comes through their door is used in as many different ways as possible.

A couple of simple steps to help you create the perfect trash tiki serves;

• Make sure you buy good quality local ingredients, this provides longevity so that you can fully utilise it in multiple aspects of each serve.
• Think of your ingredients as a whole and try and think how many ways it can be used, take a lemon for example, you can juice it, pickle it, peel it and use it as a garnish.
• Use your ingredients in multiple serves as well as dishes, stamping out single use ingredients.
• Find alternatives to the usual suspects, we find that burnt carrots create the same acidity as lemons or limes.
• Sustainability doesn’t stop with your serves, try recycling straws, glasses, bottles and make you trash valuable.Stopping single use produce that cannot be utilised in multiple areas of your venue such as the bar and the kitchen.
• Stopping single use produce that cannot be utilised in multiple areas of your venue such as the bar and the kitchen.

Ultimately being sustainable is about reducing consumption, we need to ship less produce around the world every day, drain less resources and create a mindset that isn’t about using sustainability as means of upsell but realising its long term benefits for your venue.

Trash Tiki cocktails for you to try

Ready to have a go at turning you trash into treasure? Here are some of our favourites for you to try in your venue.

Rind & Rizza Spritz

30ml TANQUERAY LONDON DRY GIN

15ml Watermelon rind cordial

20ml Riesling

5ml Grapefruit stock

30ml Soda

METHOD

Build over cubed ice in a wine glass

Garnish with fresh green herbs

11.5 grams of alcohol*(according to mls of the serve)

Old Man Stick

45ml JOHNNIE WALKER BLACK LABEL SCOTCH WHISKY

15ml Spiced avo orgeat

10ml Aged orange juice

5ml Lemon stock

3 Dashes angostura & absinthe blend

METHOD

Shake all together over cubed ice

Serve in a rocks glass

Garnish with fruit pulp leather

14.2 grams of alcohol*(according to mls of the serve)

Join in the conversation and Tweet us at @diageobarac, share your photos on Instagram @diageobarac or post on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear from you.

Sign up and become a member of Diageo Bar Academy today and opt in to receive our monthly newsletter to unlock the latest industry news, trends and tips to keep your bar knowledge up to speed!

(*One standard drink contains 8g of alcohol)