Leftover ingredients make lu-ver-ley cocktails, as Noora Parssinen finds out. Head down to The Refinery in London before 24 November to find KeepCups full of Espresso Martinis, surplus veg Bloody Marys and more.
Noora Parssinen
Fri 16 Nov 2018
Imagine that your after-work or date night cocktails didn’t only taste delicious but also saved food (and Champagne!) from going to waste – how great would that be? I think we all know the answer to that one.
You can actually experience this dreamy scenario until the 24 November thanks to a collaboration between Ketel One vodka and cult cocktail bar group, Drake & Morgan.
I like a good cocktail (or few) and knowing that the cocktails have been made using leftover ingredients, I like them even more, so I headed out to explore sustainable pop-up The Ketel One: Cocktails with Care Collective that is taking place at The Refinery Regent’s Place.
Cocktails that are aligned with sustainable and mindful living? Yes please.
Head to The Refinery Regent's Place for this sustainable cocktail bar pop up
Image Photography | Justin De Souza
Ketel One has worked closely with the bar teams and chefs to identify leftover ingredients from the kitchen to create the conscious cocktail menu. It includes fruit and veg destined for landfill, citrus waste, syrups made with spent coffee and Champagne that’s seen fizzier days.
According to the United Nation Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), if food waste was a country, it would be the third largest greenhouse gas emitting country in the world after China and the United States, so it’s evident that food waste is anything but a minor issue. It's great to see brands at all levels getting creative and turning something that is usually regarded as waste into something valuable (and mighty delicious).
So, the cocktail menu...It includes next level Bloody Marys with mixed vegetable and green juices; lush eco cocktails like Peachy Keen containing Champagne syrup or Afternoon Delight that is made using spent coffee.
I might have sipped on more than one of the cocktails and let me tell you, there was nothing left to be wasted.
The spicy Veg Patch Mary had great, strong flavours and a bit of a kick to it, whereas the Citrus Soda (Ketel One Citroen Vodka, citrus sherbet, soda water and peach bitters) was very fresh, not too sweet and finished very quickly…
Who doesn't want a KeepCup filled with Espresso Martini?
Image Photography | Justin De Souza
In addition to using leftover ingredients to create great tasting cocktails, Ketel One is also encouraging people to get a reusable coffee cup and ditch disposable ones. They’ve teamed up with KeepCup and they're offering a free Espresso Martini when purchasing a KeepCup from The Refinery Regent's Place and Refinery Spinningfields in Manchester.
In the UK, we use staggering 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups every year so it’s obvious we need more people to get excited about reusables. A free Espresso Martini might just do the trick.
Great tasting cocktails, good vibes, an immersive swing adorned in living plants and discussions about environmental issues…what more could you want?
I might just go there again myself – got to save that Champagne!
Swing by on Tues 20 November for the 'Totally Wild Cocktail' masterclass. Ketel One teams up with the UK's leading foraging expert, James Wood who will be on hand with cocktail maestro Kate Jackson, to show you how to make delicious cocktails from an urban green space.
