To Go Green, Bars Try To Reuse Their Booze

Source: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/12/11/459211509/to-go-green-bars-try-to-reuse-their-booze?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=thesalt

Some bars are blending leftover wine with fruit to make sangria.

Some bars are blending leftover wine with fruit to make sangria.

Bastien Deceuninck/Flickr

You probably don’t waste a whole lot of wine or booze in your own home. But bars and restaurants throw out alcohol all the time.

The booze, wine and beer left behind in customers’ drinks have to be discarded per food safety law, of course.

But what about the wine bottles designated for serving by the glass? Those dregs often go right down the drain.

Just as the restaurant industry has been waking up to its significant contribution to the food waste problem — and coming up with creative solutions — bartenders are realizing they can also turn some of their waste into something useful. It’s just one dimension of the new sustainability movement in the drinking industry that’s seeking ways to reduce water use, packaging waste and energy.

Ryan McIlwraith is a chef who co-owns Comstock Saloon in San Francisco. He’s also preparing to open a Spanish-themed restaurant called Bellota with partner Jonny Raglin.

For his new venture, McIlwraith has been …

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