How Norwegian Cruise Line is Making Cocktails More Sustainable
Norwegian Cruise Line Prima Metropolitan Bar photo courtesy NCL
Cruise ships are notorious for being big polluters but that may be starting to change as some focus on sustainability in both obvious and not so obvious ways. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) states environmental stewardship as one of their core values and their efforts can be seen at onboard bars, including Metropolitan Bar, which utilizes carbon neutral spirits, tablet menus and serves a variety of cocktails with second-use ingredients.
Previous Sustainability Measures
NCL was the first cruise line to eliminate single-use plastic straws and subsequently, eliminate single-use plastic bottles, but has wanted to do more. Luis Ortega, Director of Beverage Development and Operations at Norwegian Cruise Lines embraces the sustainability concept in the beverage program. Shares Ortega, “I attended a beverage convention a few years ago where I was awe-struck and inspired by the innovation and creativity I was seeing in the industry in terms of sustainable cocktails.”
Croissant Mai Tai photo courtesy NCL
The first iteration of a new concept involved a pop-up bar on the Norwegian Encore in 2019. Ortega engaged mixologist Gabe Orta from Bar Lab, one of the leading beverage hospitality groups in the industry, to assist in bringing the first sustainable cocktails to fruition. The project took hold with the Bar Lab partnership. Orta toured the ship galleys identifying products that could be given a second life. Next the team conceptualized 11 sustainable cocktails for the menu of Metropolitan Bar. When the Norwegian Prima debuted in 2022, the Metropolitan Bar became the cruise industry’s first sustainable bar.
Recycling and Reusing Food Waste
Thinking about the best use of food items, the team was surprised at the number of options for reuse. Broken down watermelon rinds and banana peels and spent coffee grounds combine with sugar to become a syrup. One of the most unexpected reused items is almond croissants. Pastries that are perfectly fine for eating, but aren’t attractive enough to be displayed and served, are used to create a base for an exquisite syrup used in a Mai Tai concoction.
With the reuse of wasted ingredients for these sustainable cocktails also came savings on other components. For example, the second-use products resulted in the elimination of the purchasing of some products like spicy cordials. The purchase of fewer products also results in having less inventory and maximizing storage space.
A Surprise Hit
Guessing that the Old Fashioned style Primadonna would be a guest favorite, the team designated it the signature cocktail, but according to Ortega, “Although our almond croissants and pastries are delicious, we did not expect them to translate into an exquisite, unique syrup for our cocktails. We thought everyone would love the Primadonna, which is a take on an Old-Fashioned cocktail using syrup from banana peels, but the most popular has been the Croissant Mai Tai.”
Sustainable Ingredients
At Metropolitan Bar, patrons peruse the various cocktails via a tablet. Each cocktail comes with a photo and a complete description of the ingredients. The bartenders know the creation process and enthusiastically share details and make recommendations.
It’s not only the reused components that comprise these sustainable cocktails. NCL has sourced sustainable rum from Flor De Caña. This rum is produced with 100% renewable energy. Originating in Nicaragua from a family rum distillery since 1890, Flor de Caña is sustainably produced, carbon neutral, and fair trade certified.
Spirited Awards
Watermelon Twist photo courtesy NCL
NCL was again the only cruise line honored at the 2022 Vista Awards. Their wins included "Best Spirits Program" and "Best Overall Program" across the portfolio of hotels, cruise lines, and casinos considered for this recognition. This success builds on its 2019 win in the same categories as well as its award for having the honor of "Best Beverage Menu Revamp" sponsored by Gerard Bertrand in 2020.
Sustaining the Future
In addition to repurposing items for use in cocktails, Metropolitan Bar also includes a fully sustainable spirits menu. Created with the principle of sustainability in mind, the line kicked off with Gin ‘66, an organic, gluten-free and sustainable gin in partnership with wine and spirits producer, Antonio Hidalgo. Named for the year of NCL’s founding, this gin is organic, gluten-free and sustainable. The infusion of Mediterranean seaweed adds to the intrigue of this gin.
According to Ortega, “As we continue to expand the ‘66 by Norwegian line, our goal is to partner with brands that have the same principles as we do when it comes to sustainability and innovation.” The reception by cruisers confirms the success of this program. Metropolitan Bar will be part of the new NCL Viva ship, launching in 2023.
While cruise lines still have a long way to go before they can truly be considered “eco-friendly,” the NCL bar program is a step in the right direction.