These 13 Singapore bars are serving zero-waste rum cocktails until 15 September

More than a dozen top bars in Singapore are now serving zero waste cocktails made from food waste to raise awareness about sustainability.

Led by sustainable rum brand Flor de Caña, the Zero Waste Cocktail initiative aims to reduce 15 tons of food waste globally by roping in 13 bars across the island. Venues include Nutmeg & Clove, Papa Doble, MO Bar, and Tippling Club, and each bar will offer a drink made from food scraps or leftovers from now until 15 September 2022.

Many of these cocktails feature spent fruits, which make up a large component of a bar’s waste. Citrus, for instance, is an essential element in every mixed drink, and at Nutmeg & Clove the juiced husks are turned into a liqueur and sorbet for a Sgroppino twist called Hello Cello.

Banana peels do not have to end up in the rubbish bin, as Night Hawk shows. Instead, the recently opened bar on Tanjong Pagar Road steeps them in a syrup and stirs it with rum and amontillado sherry for their Total Synastry drink. Limehouse Caribbean gives pineapple discards a new lease of life by transforming them into a cordial for their Yes We Caña drink. Stirred with rum, coconut water, and bitters, it is garnished with dehydrated pineapple leaves.

Spent coffee ground can be repurposed into more caffeinated drinks. MO Bar, for instance, collects used coffee powder from Mandarin Oriental hotel to make cold brew coffee, which is shaken with rum and citrus syrup made from day-old lemons and limes. Taking the modernist approach is Papa Doble, which distils coffee ground with cocoa nibs to create the coffee liqueur in their Pop Didi Pop.

All Zero Waste Cocktails are priced between S$22-25++ each. The month-long event will culminate in a party on 4 September at Low Tide, where all the participating bars will be offering their creations. Timing for the party will be confirmed closer to the date.

This is the second time Flor de Caña has brought their Zero Waste Cocktail global initiative back to Singapore. According to the Nicaraguan distillery, the previous instalment surpassed its goal of reducing 9 tons of food waste, reaching a total of 10.4 tons worldwide with the support of more than 400 bars and restaurants in 22 countries.

Visit the Zero Waste Cocktail website for the full list of participating bars and restaurants.