Go for zero-waste cocktails at Hyogo’s BAR Ashiya Diary

In recent years, bars all around the world have been making efforts to minimize waste as much as possible. For instance, in Singapore, it has become a trend to limit daily waste output to 500g or less! “BAR Ashiya Diary” in Ashiya City, Hyogo Prefecture, is also one of those bars dedicated to zero-waste practices.

“BAR Ashiya Diary” embracing zero waste

BAR Ashiya Diary is a long-established bar founded in Ashiya City in 1986. They meticulously select domestically produced organic fruits and offer cocktails that use the whole fruit to reduce food waste. Its bartender also creates original appetizers using leftover ingredients to further minimize food waste.

Since its opening, the bar has been popular among local customers and, during the COVID-19 pandemic, they even started offering lunch service. Their menu includes not just regular curry powder but also a special curry made by grinding several spices from whole to powder every time it’s prepared. Additionally, their food menu and desserts crafted by their patissier are also noteworthy and diverse.

What’s on the menu at BAR Ashiya Diary?

Upon entering the bar, you will find approximately 200 varieties of Japanese whiskey. The bar emphasizes that the whiskies are sourced from small-scale distilleries within the country.

The menu is carefully crafted to minimize food waste. To achieve this, they use domestically produced organic fruits in their cocktails. They make use of the entire fruit, including the peel, to reduce food waste. Citrus fruits are fully utilized, resulting in zero food waste for those items.

The signature drink at BAR Ashiya Diary is the “Whole Japanese Organic Lemon Cocktail.” The drink allows you to enjoy a cocktail made from locally grown lemons that would otherwise be discarded due to being unsuitable for sale. These lemons, even though firm and seemingly unusable for commercial purposes, actually contribute to the deliciousness of this cocktail. The bartenders process these lemons, including the peel, in a blender, combining them with rum, gin and honey. This results in a unique cocktail exclusive to this bar.

The leftover citrus peels, such as lemon and lime, which are squeezed to make the cocktails, are turned into citrus peels shaped like marmalade using a dehydrator. These citrus peels are then used to garnish the edges of the glasses, transforming what is usually discarded into stylish appetizers.

They create marmalade from domestically produced blood orange peels for use in cocktails. The white parts of the peel of the buntan citrus are dried with sugar sprinkled on them, turning them into delicious snacks.

Even the sandwich edges trimmed off at the bar are transformed into garlic and rosemary croutons.

Enjoying cocktail creation from the perspective of “eliminating food waste”

Tomokazu Kusano, the owner of BAR Ashiya Diary, admired bartenders who could express both craftsmanship and service when he was 20 years old. He decided to work at the establishment and eventually took over the bar from the previous owner in 2008, continuing its management. Around 2018, he developed an interest in cocktails that consider the global environment. Kusano then began working on cocktail creations with themes like local production for local consumption, food waste reduction and fair trade.

“While running the bar, I made a new discovery that things we used to discard without a second thought are actually delicious. Although throwing things away has become a norm, the idea of creating something from waste is fascinating. Over these four years as a bartender, I have been approaching cocktail-making from the perspective of eliminating food waste. It’s very refreshing, and there have been new ideas and discoveries that make it enjoyable,” said Kusano.

Kusano has put into practice sustainabile bartending after discovering it through the prestigious “World Class” cocktail competition.

In addition to this, he actively engages in other environmental efforts. He collaborates with the National Committee for Milk Container Environmental Issues’ paper pack recycling promotion project, involving Ashiya City and the Chamber of Commerce in these activities. Because he has continued to run the bar in Ashiya, he is actively engaged in revitalizing the local community.

BAR Ashiya Diary serves as a place where you can enjoy stylish cocktails and contemplate issues such as food waste and the environment. We encourage you to visit and experience it firsthand.

Originally published on Life Hugger.