- Log in to post comments
Lauren Ballard |
Aspen Bingham |
Lauren Pellecchia |
Marie Yoshimizu |
On Monday, February 24, the top four National Finalists in the 2025 Torres Brandy Zero Challenge competed in San Diego for a chance to advance to the Global Final in Barcelona at the end of March.
The 2025 Torres Brandy Zero Challenge, a Program of the USBG, called on Bar Owners, Bar Managers, and Bartenders to transform the hospitality sector by contributing sustainable projects and solutions with a positive impact for companies, people, and the planet. The Torres Brandy Zero Challenge is the first international competition to present an award to the world's most sustainable cocktail bar project.
For the first time in the competition’s history, an all-women group of Finalists proposed projects with the potential to shape the future of bars, local communities, and the industry as a whole.
Please help us celebrate this year’s winner. . . Lauren Pellecchia and her “Why Trash When You Can Smash?” project! Lauren’s project started with a left behind glass crusher at Merchants Club in Newport, Kentucky. Recognizing the lack of glass recycling options in its area, the bar took a proactive approach to sustainability by using the glass crusher to repurpose one of its largest waste items—glass bottles. The machine transforms bottles into sand, leading the bar to explore potential uses for the material.
By reaching out to local farms, gardening groups, and artists, they found strong interest in repurposing the crushed glass for drainage, mixed media art, and other creative applications. The enthusiasm was so great that the bar extended the initiative to neighboring establishments, inviting them to contribute their glass waste. This grassroots effort has evolved into a community-driven movement, demonstrating how a simple investment in glass crushing can benefit the environment, support the arts, and strengthen local agriculture. Through this initiative, the bar is not only reducing landfill waste but also fostering collaboration and sustainability in meaningful ways.
Good luck Lauren as you travel to Barcelona at the end of March to represent the US in the 2025 Torres Brandy Zero Challenge Global Final!
Special thanks are being sent to everyone who assisted with the US National Finals – Julie Reiner (Judge), Steven Hirschauer (Judge), Chance Curtis (Emcee), Crystal Welch (Chapter Lead), Arlene Ibarra (Photographer), and the entire Staff at Nolita House.
We appreciate everyone who attended the US National Final event to cheer on the Finalists!
#USBG #torresbrandy #torresbrandyzerochallenge #zerochallenge