Ongoing, Flor De Caña Returns With Its Sustainable Cocktail Challenge to Champion Conscious Drinking From Within the Industry

The Sustainable Cocktail Challenge 2023

In 2021 and 2022, Flor De Caña pioneered Zero Waste Cocktail Month in a bid to inspire the global alcohol industry and consumers to embrace responsible consumption and reduce food waste. Upholding that mission statement, this year’s edition will once again see competing bars presenting exclusive sustainable cocktails created with Flor De Caña 12 based on an open-ended brief incorporating creative techniques that revolve around using sustainable ingredients and upcycling.

To further industry know-how gathered globally, all participating bars will be inducted into the Flor De Caña Sustainable Society which entitles members to educational sessions for staff and a sustainability bar manual complete with step-by-step guides and tips. Participating bartenders will also receive the opportunity to feature in the annual Flor De Caña Sustainable Cocktails Recipe Book. In a bid to incentivise the participating bartenders, the prizes for the local champion include a flight ticket to the APAC Regionals, the opportunity to compete for the Regional Finalist title, a Venue Sustainability Assessment by partner Food Made Good as well as enrolment into an exclusive exchange programme for international guest shifts and masterclasses.

Following the campaign month locally and after a virtual judging round, the Top 10 finalists will be selected to then battle it out on 28 August 2023 at The Bar @ 15 Stamford where a local champion will be crowned, who will then proceed to flaunt their winning tipple at the APAC Regional finals before eventually attending the Global final in Nicaragua in  2024  to compete for the title of  Flor  De  Caña  World’s  Most  Sustainable Bartender with a grand prize of US$10,000. 

Conscious Bartending

Singapore, known for its vibrant bar scene, will feature 11 bars participating in the Sustainable Cocktail Challenge. Drink seekers can look forward to experiencing innovative creations by renowned establishments such as Employees Only Singapore, Smoke & Mirrors, and Gibson Bar, among others.

Starting off with the tropical contenders, highlights include Gibson Bar’s Forest Farmer which distils figs, tonic and leftover lemon juice into a concentrated cordial stirred with a homemade red wine reduced with mango seeds and skin; while Night Hawk’s Sunrise Hereafter chooses to take a spicier approach by infusing mango seeds in a green chilli liqueur for a mango-centred cocktail that comes with a side of mango chips and dip. Smoke and Mirrors’ Roti Cana repurposes discarded oranges by not only using them to create a toasted butter bread orange vermouth but straining and dehydrating its skin into an orange cup to hold the drink itself.

Seeking to mellow tropical flavours in lieu of more earthy and grounding tipples, the folks over at Sugarhall are looking towards the kitchen for inspiration instead. Served in a coconut shell, Cultivate The Roots boasts a sweetened mirepoix broth of common root vegetables at its base with a dehydrated mirepoix cracker to boot. In a bid to provide satisfaction on three fronts, Potato Head’s Shi Takes Shrooms features an umami-filled mushroom and pineapple reduction balanced with a tinge of sweetness with a nutty finish.

For a creamier profile is Last Word’s Rice & Shine – an ingenious take on egg fried rice that combines usual bar remnants of flat leftover champagne and egg yolks discarded from egg-white based drinks, with homemade rice milk. Similarly inspired by nostalgia, Writers Bar’s Solace puts forth an expertly-brewed pu-erh tea spiced with black pepper and lashings of cinnamon and apple finished with a rich buttercream froth.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​