NEWS AND OPINION:
Are the climate-conscious crowd coming for your cocktails? Maybe. Some new research from a well-known academic journal reveals that one typical ingredient in those libations could be on the way out.
“Climate-friendly cocktail recipes go light on ice. It takes a lot of water and energy to make negronis, manhattans and margaritas. Could we do with less ice?” asks a headline in the Scientific American, a popular academic journal.
“For years the hospitality industry has seen diners clamoring for foods that prioritize climate-friendly practices, such as local and seasonal ingredients that are grown or raised with carbon footprints in mind. Yet cocktail culture hasn’t been hit with the same scrutiny. As the American West experiences water scarcity and energy prices remain volatile, the protocol for properly made cocktails doesn’t look sustainable. Is it possible to make satisfying cocktails without so much ice?” asks Amy Brady, a contributing editor to the esteemed publication.
Bars apparently use hundreds of pounds of ice each night, and in-house ice makers are considered wasteful by some critics. Some machines use 12 gallons of water to make 100 pounds of ice.
“Most bars aren’t likely to give up ice altogether anytime soon. And cocktails aren’t unsustainable just because of all the ice and water they require; they also tend to rely on ingredients that are shipped from far away, such as lemons and limes and liquors from around the world. But some bartenders are reimagining how ice and other ingredients can be used more sustainably,” Ms. Brady writes.
Some bartenders are now looking into using block ice or exploring ways to shake or stir a cocktail to cool it with the smallest amount of ice.
“Drinks in this style — refreshing but not frigid; based in spirits, liqueurs or wines made from local fruits and herbs — could be front-runners in an energy-efficient, climate-conscious cocktail movement,” Ms. Brady concludes.
She is the author of the new book “Ice: From Mixed Drinks to Skating Rinks — a Cool History of a Hot Commodity,” published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons in June.
REAGAN’S JULY FOURTH
“The things that unite us — America’s past of which we’re so proud, our hopes and aspirations for the future of the world and this much-loved country — these things far outweigh what little divides us,” former President Ronald Reagan said in his official Independence Day address to the nation on July 4, 1986.
“We reaffirm that Jew and gentile, we are one nation under God; that black and white, we are one nation indivisible; that Republican and Democrat, we are all Americans,” he said.
“Tonight, with heart and hand, through whatever trial and travail, we pledge ourselves to each other and to the cause of human freedom, the cause that has given light to this land and hope to the world,” the 40th president continued.
“My fellow Americans, we’re known around the world as a confident and a happy people. Tonight there’s much to celebrate and many blessings to be grateful for. So while it’s good to talk about serious things, it’s just as important and just as American to have some fun. Now, let’s have some fun — let the celebration begin,” he said in closing.
DeSANTIS’ JULY FOURTH
“Our Founding Fathers risked their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to establish a nation conceived in freedom. And if they had not been successful, they all would have been beheaded and lost their lives. And they stood up — and it changed the course of human history,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told “The Morning Answer,” a conservative talk-radio show broadcast by South Carolina-based WGTK-FM, a Salem Media Group affiliate.
“We need to appreciate the uniqueness of America and we need to give thanks for their sacrifice,” Mr. DeSantis said in an appearance Monday.
TRUMP’S JULY FOURTH
Who remembers former President Donald Trump’s appearance at Mount Rushmore on July 4, 2020? Here’s what he said on that day in South Dakota:
“We gather tonight to herald the most important day in the history of nations: July 4th, 1776. At those words, every American heart should swell with pride. Every American family should cheer with delight. And every American patriot should be filled with joy, because each of you lives in the most magnificent country in the history of the world, and it will soon be greater than ever before,” Mr. Trump said.
“Our founders launched not only a revolution in government, but a revolution in the pursuit of justice, equality, liberty and prosperity. No nation has done more to advance the human condition than the United States of America. And no people have done more to promote human progress than the citizens of our great nation,” he said.
TRUMP’S LATEST
Some 50,000 fans of former President Donald Trump turned out Saturday in Pickens, South Carolina, for a Make America Great Again rally, according to the official estimate by local police.
MAGAPAC — Mr. Trump’s official political action committee — continues to track the trajectory of his election campaign in some succinct ways.
“No other candidate can match that sort of enthusiasm because no other candidate has delivered for the American people as much as Donald Trump has,” Taylor Budowich, CEO of Make America Great Again Inc., said in a written statement.
“Mind you, the tens of thousands of patriots that turned out in Pickens, South Carolina, did it on a day with temperatures over 90 degrees. The Trump train has left the station and is not stopping until President Trump is seated behind the Resolute Desk,” Mr. Budowich added.
POLL DU JOUR
• 43% of U.S. adults think that a man looks his best and “sexiest” when he wears a T-shirt and jeans.
• 34% feel a man looks his best in a suit.
• 14% say a man looks best in a shirt and chino pants.
• 9% say a man looks best in athletic wear.
SOURCE: A Wall Street Journal/Ipsos poll of 2,009 U.S. adults conducted June 7-12 and released June 26.
• Happy Independence Day, and thank you for reading Inside the Beltway.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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