Mixing with Mission: Bartender experts take the lead in sustainable bartender practices in ‘The Bar World of Tomorrow’ program

From left; Sebastian Sandvik, Head Bartender at Himkok in Norway, and Hampus Thunholm, Owner and Creative Leader at Röda Huset, Sweden.

Against the backdrop of Scandinavia’s unwavering and deep-rooted commitment to sustainability, a pioneering bartender initiative is evolving, ready to reshape the trajectory of cocktail culture together with two of the world’s most prominent bartenders in the lead.

Sustainability has long been a driving force behind people’s choices in food consumption, now there is a growing emphasis at looking more closely into what’s poured into the glasses. Enhanced by conscious-minded consumers pairing choices with values a new era in the cocktail culture is underway.  

The Bar World of Tomorrow is created by Pernod Ricard and launched in 2020, the concept has since swept across the world, inspiring over 10.000 bartenders’ approach to their craft to actively minimize the environmental footprint from bars and cocktails.

Together with two of the world’s most prominent bartenders, both winners of Ketel One ‘Sustainable Bar Award’ and featured Top 35 on the list of ‘The World’s 50 Best Bars’, the initiative has reached Scandinavia with over 200 bartenders enrolled in the concept, further accelerating the sustainable development in the beverage industry, in a region already recognized for being at the forefront of sustainability.

We had a conversation with the brand guardians of The Bar World of Tomorrow program, Sebastian Sandvik, Head Bartender at Himkok in Norway, and Hampus Thunholm, Owner and Creative Leader at Röda Huset, Sweden, exploring the domain of sustainability according to them.

How do you believe ‘The Bar World of Tomorrow’ can add value?

Sebastian: The Bar World of Tomorrow allows me to spread the message of sustainability. Bars have a significant impact, and the program helps to make sustainability more accessible, supporting you to re-think, finding new ways to do things, new producers, and partners.

How do you incorporate sustainability in practice at Himkok?

Sebastian: Exclusion of citrus in cocktails is good practice, replaced by other acids like apples, sea buckthorn, berries, and lingonberries. One significant opportunity for us lies in producing our own spirit to reduce the carbon footprint. Our ethanol is sourced from a potato producer, utilizing second-grade potatoes turned into pure alcohol.

What makes your concept at ‘The Red House’ unique from a sustainability perspective?

Hampus: We are a cocktail bar that serves really good food, with the focus on only Scandinavian ingredients. I’ve been quite lucky working for some of the best chefs in Sweden, with that comes a lot of travelling – but every time I came home to Sweden, I realized that for example the apples we have here, are better than all the apples I had around the world.

What advice would you give another bartender wanting to embrace sustainability behind the bar?

Hampus: It’s about getting the knowledge, and not starting off with a world problem in sustainability. Get to know your city and the area that you are working with, to see what you can change there.  

Sebastian: Simply participating in a Bar World of Tomorrow workshop and understanding the products used, I’d say is essential. Using ingredients to their fullest extent, ensuring zero waste, is a simple and impactful change.

What role does customer preferences play in sustainability development?

Sebastian: Customer preferences vary, with some showing interest in sustainability. Younger customers are often concerned about issues like plastic straw usage, while older customers ask more in-depth questions about product origins and production processes.

How are you that already are very advanced in sustainability, planning to advance further?

Hampus: We are planning to buy some apples trees, so we know that we own them, can take care and then we know exactly how much we are going to get. If you believe in one thing and I believe in a good connection with our growers and farmers, I want to stick to that, because it makes everything more fun.  

Sebastian: Exploring ingredients unique to Norway, such as the product Kveik, a variation to yeast which originates from the Viking Age that can ferment at much higher temperatures without causing off-flavors, combining innovation with sustainability.

The Bar World of Tomorrow program is part of Pernod Ricard’s 2030 CSR strategy ‘Good Times from a Good Place’. The concept is developed in collaboration with Trash Collective and Sustainable Restaurant Association providing sustainable and responsible hacks and recipes for bartenders focused around the five R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Respect, Rethink.

Registration is open to participate in The Bar World of Tomorrow, sign up here!

When: 11-12 March 2024

Time: 12:00-15:00

Host: Jens Dahlberg, Bar World of Tomorrow Expert

Where: Pernod Ricard HQ, Liljeholmen