Bar Us

Bangkok

Seriously savoury, stealthily sustainable

Bar Us is renowned in its native Thailand and further afield across Asia for its remarkable lineup of savoury cocktails inspired by fine dining restaurants. What most people don't realise is that it also has one of Asia's most forward-thinking, ecological and human-forward drinks programmes, recognised as the winner of the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award 2026.

Sourcing lies at the core of Bar Us' sustainable philosophy. It starts with maintaining close, direct relationships with regional producers for ingredients used in its savoury-forward cocktails, including a pesticide-free, family-run farm in Nakhon Ratchasima that has operated for more than 36 years. Here, the harvest of seasonal produce – from mangoes and mulberries to rambutans and durians – is used to power the innovative drinks programme.

Where a less thoughtful bar would simply take the useful, traditionally desirable elements of each ingredient, Bar Us thrives on whole-ingredient utilisation to drastically reduce its waste footprint. For its Banana Daiquiri, ripe bananas are juiced for dilution, the peels are transformed into syrup and remaining elements are distilled for aroma and baked into a Thai banana cake served alongside the drink. Similarly, the Thai Tea Punch features a house-made fudge crafted from white chocolate and leftover milk curds saved from the cocktail's clarification process. When it comes to keeping its drinks cool, the bar uses frozen fruit in place of ice where possible, best sampled in its take on a piña colada.

The bar's environmental responsibility also extends far beyond the glass. The venue operates without gas, has swapped plastic straws for halved sugarcane straws to reduce waste and relies on low ambient lighting to cut electricity consumption. Even the minimal decor features dried ingredients to give guests a true sense of place. Social sustainability also shines through collaborations with local artisans; staff wear naturally dyed, breathable cotton uniforms by Thai designer Longgoy and drinks rest on handcrafted, traditional woven sedge grass coasters.

Juliane Caillouette Noble, CEO of The Sustainable Restaurant Association, notes: "Our team especially loved its localised approach to sourcing, with everything from seasonal fresh fruit to coasters and staff uniforms coming from family-run Thai farms, regional producers and traditional craftspeople. Ingredients are thoughtfully prepared in ways that use every bit, transforming surplus produce and by-products into syrups, cordials, ferments and garnishes – creating a truly unique drinks offering as well as a strong sense of place that is echoed in the minimalistic, nature-inspired design of the 'drinking room' itself."

Contact