Cocktail classics with a native twist include a Gumnut Negroni, Quandong Daiquiri and a Piña Nut, with coconut-wash white rum, macadamia butter and wattle seed.
A small bar with a big purpose – Daintree Sydney – has opened in Sydney, inspiring social change and demonstrating a path forward for sustainability within the hospitality industry. For Daintree Sydney, it is all about giving back.
The unique micro-bar is a proud partner of HalfCut – an environmental movement that engages people to raise funds to protect rainforests and wildlife. HalfCut, with Daintree Sydney’s fundraising support, is currently focusing on preserving the Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, working closely with the Traditional Owners of the low land Daintree. Daintree Sydney donates half of all its profits to HalfCut. Since opening its doors in July 2022, the bar has raised more than $52,000 and counting via their HalfCut fundraising page.
The cocktail list features drinks with seasonal native ingredients and where possible, fresh herbs grown by the bar. Cocktail classics with a native twist include a Gumnut Negroni, Quandong Daiquiri and a Piña Nut, Daintree Sydney’s take on the Piña Colada with coconut-wash white rum, macadamia butter and wattle seed.
Alongside the cocktails is a wine and beer list that champions New South Wales producers and highlights minimal intervention and natural wines. As a further nod to Daintree Sydney’s transparent environmental pledge, the menu also points out how far each of their wines and beers have travelled as a real carbon cost.
Daintree Sydney’s beverage manager Tom Bulmer tells Forbes Life Australia that the inspiration for Daintree Sydney is creating viable businesses to bring about an actual shift toward a green economy and future for all of us.
“Bars are a social engine for change and a place where we all come together and talk, especially in Australia. It is here where we need to make a difference and physically see the change we need to make in this world.
“We have for generations had excessive waste on these lands and it’s not enough to just ‘reduce’ the continued waste. We need a wholesale effort put into renewing the land that has been used, so that it is still there for our children. While this may be the first pure charity focused bar in Australia, we hope it isn’t the last and we would love to see more initiatives dedicated to restoring these lands back to their original state and supporting our indigenous communities.”
