Going out for a refreshing evening drink can be the best way to end the day. Unfortunately, some cocktail recipes use ingredients that harm the planet. If you want to sip on a hard beverage, enjoy a snack and help the environment, look for low-waste bar menus. You’ll find them at select St. Louis bars, so browse your options before leaving home for a great time.
The Vandy Credit: photo by Michelle VolanskyPlanter’s House
You can’t miss Planter’s House if you’re driving around Lafayette Square. The forest green pillars tucked within a large brick building call people over for a great time. Once you enter the red front door, you’ll find a menu with creative cocktails and global cuisine.
Order one of the many drinks on tap to avoid single-use bottles and cans. If you’d rather have one of the Planter’s spirit-free cocktails, you’ll still help the planet. Enjoying booze-free beverages means you’re reducing your contribution to resource-heavy alcohol production processes.
No matter what you order, the house-made syrups in every cocktail and mocktail are eco-conscious. The Planter’s team makes them in-house, which reduces the venue’s packaging and transport emissions. Don’t forget to try to sample the PH Midori Rum Sour while it’s available. The essential egg whites minimize egg waste in the kitchen, which is another creative way Planter’s House reduces the food waste filling up 24% of landfills while making delicious drinks.
1000 Mississippi Ave., St. Louis, 314.696.2603, plantershousestl.com Credit: photo by Jacqui SeguraRetreat Gastropub
Anyone searching for low-waste bar menus should check out Retreat Gastropub. The bar is part of the Green Dining Alliance, so the owners must pass an annual audit to ensure the facility meets their sustainable standards. They strive for better waste reduction, eco-friendly procurement, water conservation and more. Their latest audit got a four out of five-star rating for efforts like the eco-friendly menu options.
Order a beer at Retreat Gastropub and you’ll get a glass from a local brewery. First, you’ll have to scan the QR code menu, which reduces the bar’s paper waste. If you receive a printed menu, rest assured that it will turn into plate liners once it serves its purpose.
The food options also prioritize the environment. Veggie scraps turn into vegetable stock for anything that needs it. Beef fat scraps don’t end up in the garbage can either — they become tallow butter and stock for the bar’s flavorful beef-related dishes. The delicious options and creative kitchen choices won the bar three Sauce Readers’ Choice awards between 2016 and 2018.
Even Retreat Gastropub’s hardware is greener than most bars. The light fixtures use light-emitting diode bulbs to reduce the property’s electricity usage. Low-flow faucets and toilets minimize water waste. The team also uses more eco-friendly cleaning products, so the bar remains a top competitor among green businesses in St. Louis.
6 N. Sarah St., St. Louis, 314.261.4497, retreatgastropub.com Credit: photo by Andrew TrinhYellowbelly
Prepare to feel dazzled when you order a drink or meal from Yellowbelly. The crew behind the beloved St. Louis bar and restaurant plate everything like you’re dining at a Michelin-star venue. They also have one of the best low-waste bar menus in the city.
Order a filling meal like the steaming chile-glazed pork belly with layered flavors that make your tastebuds sing. The meal pairs well with the Trash-Tini, which features a floral syrup using strawberry tops discarded by nearby pie shops. You could also toast your brunch with a Briny Mary. The classic drink features an environmental twist — it combines leftover pickle brine, fermented chili scraps and celery pulp from juicers to reduce the bar’s food waste.
The Yellowbelly team is also creative with the lime wedges that worry sustainably minded customers. While other bars might throw them out after using them for a splash of flavor in dishes, Yellowbelly places them in a vacuum bag with malic acid and sugar to turn them into an ingredient in Spent Lime Cordials. Recycling ingredients prevents landfills from overflowing with food that could otherwise make your night incredible.
4659 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 314.499.1509, yellowbellystl.com Credit: photo by Andrew Trinh
Related
Subscribe!
Sign up. We hope you like us, but if you don’t, you can unsubscribe by following the links in the email, or by dropping us a note at pr@saucemagazine.com.
