To mark Earth Day on 22 April 2021, we teamed up with ‘Place of the Way’ and 16 of the world's best bartenders to raise £2370 for charity by auctioning wildlife inspired bottled cocktails.
Each bottled cocktail was inspired by a different endangered animal and all proceeds from the auction will go to wildlife charity, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
The bartenders were challenged to create a cocktail that represents one of the endangered animals on the WWF adoption list. Bartenders and drinks industry experts who responded to the challenge include Anna Sebastian (The Artesian), Marion Zoelle & Angelo Sparvoli (Kwant), Jason-Candid Knusel & Stefano Bussi (The Nomad London), Chelsie Bailey (Happiness Forgets), Alan Sherwood (Little Mercies), Elvis Birbalas (The Cocktail Trading Co.), Alex Godfrey (Callooh Callay), Luca Cicalese (Roots), Marian Beke (The Gibson), Cressida Lawlor (London Cocktail Club), Victor Barascu (Nine Lives), Paul Mathew (Everleaf Drinks Founder), Award winning Julian De Feral, Global Rum Ambassador Ian Burrell and health & wellness guru Camille Vidal (La Maison Wellness).
After this charity auction ended we were made aware that the use of the phrase ‘spirit animal’, while increasingly common in popular usage, is a sacred term to indigenous peoples of North America and is part of the belief system of some cultures. We apologise for any offence caused any offence and have taken this opportunity to reflect on the issues raised. We have also informed the organisers of this charity partnership. If you would like to learn more about the origins of the term and why its misuse can cause offence, we found Partnership With Native Americans helpful.
WWF UK (Registered charity 1081247) is the world’s leading independent conservation organisation, with a mission to create a world where people and wildlife can thrive together. Based in the UK, the charity works around the globe to stop the destruction of nature and help it to recover. This year has seen the world’s hospitality industry join the ‘endangered list’ with the pandemic forcing venues around the world to close their doors. This project unites ‘endangered’ bars with the animals that so desperately need our help to thrive - while also providing a one-off cocktail drinking experience for those who win the lots!