You’re gathering all your loved ones into one spot to celebrate your pending nuptials. The drinks will flow as you dance the night away and toast to all the good times to come. One thing to consider is how to ditch the plastic in favor of more eco-conscious choices. Enter: a sustainable bar service vendor!
To give you the 411 on the topic, we’re passing the mic to Mohirah Hall, the co-founder of Austeriti Sustainable Bar Services. He’s sharing everything you need to know about ethical bar services and how providing green options doesn’t have to compromise exquisite taste.
About Austeriti – A Sustainable Bar Service Vendor
Austeriti is a sustainable bar service for private events throughout Los Angeles. Every aspect of our operation is optimized for sustainability–from our wheat straws to the spirits we pour that have been vetted to ensure their factories use best practices for the environment. After working in the events industry for years as bartenders, we could no longer stand idly by while bars at private events created mounds of plastic waste with no second thoughts!
Between my business partner Trevor and myself, we’ve operated in the bar events industry in LA for 15 years. We’ve worked small, 30-person birthday parties to a 5,000+ festival. I always harped for responsible bars while working with Citi and ESPN, but this was never the focus, and I could no longer fall in line with the status quo. I started Austeriti to highlight that small changes in habit can generate a groundswell of change.
“We hope people will see Austeriti’s mission and message and realize that a great cocktail, mocktail, or wine can be enjoyed sustainably.”
A delectable drink shouldn’t hurt the environment. Here are 5 ethical questions to ask your bar service vendor:
1. Are you exclusively pouring spirits and beverages with sustainable production practices?
Today we vote with our dollar so it’s important to support businesses in the spirits, beer, and wine industry that are going above and beyond to ensure they are minimizing the footprint of their products. It’s possible to exclusively pour from sustainable brands so this is step one!
2. How can we avoid plastic in 100% of the bar operations?
First of all, single-use plastic cups should be illegal, so make sure the company you’re using doesn’t present that option because they are only trying to cut costs and in turn, hurt mother earth. Operators like Austeriti offer affordable glass rentals with a rinsing station so guests have a fresh glass for each drink while reusing the same glass. There are also sustainable, compostable single-use options as a last resort. Follow up questions should be about straws to make sure there are sustainable options. Again: no plastic.
3. What kind of water are you using?
We use Kangen water that is alkalinized with a ph of 9.5. This is an important question because syrups will also be made from this water so you want to make sure the base is alkaline versus acidic. Drinks will not only be healthier but taste better.
4. What kind of juice do you make your drinks with?
You want your bar service vendor to use fresh-squeezed juice, or fresh juice bought in a glass container. This will be the best-tasting drinks that are sustainably made, as the glass can be recycled and the rinds composted.
5. Where do you purchase your drink garnishes?
Make sure your bar operators are supporting their community AND making the best possible drinks by purchasing fruits and herbs at local farmer’s markets. Fruits and herbs purchased at the grocery store inadvertently create a ton of plastic waste due to the transportation of the products to the store and unnecessary packaging utilized. Purchasing from a farmer puts the money back into the community while also getting fresh products that aren’t over-processed. This means better tasting cocktails and mocktails!
Need more ethical wedding inspiration or green wedding ideas? Grab our getting started guide to help you plan your ethical wedding!
About the Author
Mohirah Hall is the co-founder of Austeriti Sustainable Bar Services. When he knew there was a better way to run an event bar, he decided to act. Mohirah is that annoying guy who lives his life sustainably even if it means extra trips or more money spent – that is worth it to him to do the right thing! He’s also an avid podcast listener, fancies his girlfriend, and enjoys a good book or three. Get in touch at hello@austeriti.com.
Mohirah’s last bit of advice for eco-conscious couples looking to hire a sustainable bar service vendor?
“You don’t need to sacrifice taste for sustainability. Whoever you are using should be able to do both because not only is it possible, it’s just a matter of effort.”
I’ll toast to that!
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