Drink in Focus: One Penicillin, One Tree at Penicillin cocktail bar
Garnished with an edible ‘leather’ strip made from papaya seeds and strawberries, this Penicillin whisky cocktail is made from waste – and incredibly delicious
With the climate such a hot (sorry) topic these days, many of us are making pledges to cut down on waste and live more sustainably. One bar doing more than any other in town to live up to this pledge is Penicillin.
The closed-loop concept has made a name for itself in Hong Kong for using food waste from neighbouring establishments to craft excellent drinks. Penicillin also collaborates with Green Step Group and ecoSpirits to eliminate single-use glass bottles, and employs scientific tips and tricks to reduce its carbon footprint when serving drinks.
One drink, though, stands out more than any other on Pencillin’s sustainability-focused menu for doing a little bit extra to help the planet – the One Penicillin, One Tree.
“The cocktail was born from a straightforward desire to blend sustainability with our passion for mixology,” explains Penicillin co-founder Agung Prabowo. “Every one of this cocktail sold helps plant a tree [in the Kalimantan rainforest in Borneo], symbolising a fresh start and new growth. Since inception, we’ve planted more than 12,000 trees, and the impact continues to grow.”
The cocktail also encapsulates Penicillin’s MO. “The process [for making a One Penicillin, One Tree] begins with sourcing waste ingredients from restaurants or pastry shops in the area,” says Prabowo. “We prepare strawberry brine and infuse waste white chocolate [Mackintosh] whisky in advance.” The whisky is so named because it has been infused with unused white chocolate donated by local restaurants.
The infusion, brine and a fermented coconut probiotic kefir are mixed, strained and served on the night. The drink is garnished with an edible “leather” strip made by pickling leftover papaya seeds and strawberries, with the liquid going into the brine. Frozen avocado seeds from Taqueria Super Macho serve as ice cubes.
“The cocktail has a unique flavour profile that balances the richness of waste white chocolate whisky with the brightness of pickled strawberry brine and [creamy] coconut kefir,” says Prabowo. “It’s a refreshing and complex drink that captures the essence of sustainability.”
