Pernod Ricard Launches Free Sustainability Education Platform For The Spirits Industry

Pernod Ricard is joining the education sphere, launching a free online learning platform for the spirits industry in collaboration with the United Nations’ Educate All platform.

Titled the “Bar World of Tomorrow,” the initiative is aimed at democratizing learning in the spirits industry, with a focus on sustainable and responsible bartending practices. All courses are available through EdApp. 

To help build out coursework, Pernod Ricard called on the Sustainable Restaurant Association and eco-conscious bartending duo Kelsey Ramage and Iain Griffiths; who host sustainable bar events around the world under the moniker Trash Tiki.

Via the “Bar World of Tomorrow,” all students will have access to a free global course library of spirits courses and beyond, thanks to a partnership between UNITAR (United Nations’ Institute for Training and Research) and EdApp.

EdApp is a mobile-first learning management system that currently offers 50,000 virtual lessons. The program most frequently trains employees of large-scale businesses and organizations. 

Pernod Ricard already owns an in-house training program—Pernod Ricard University—that covers in-house talent development, and sponsors Bar Smarts, a comprehensive training program for working bartenders that spans cocktail recipes, history and spirits knowledge. 

With the help of Ramage and Griffiths, the “Bar World of Tomorrow” program shines a light on sustainability. Students will be taught to approach work behind the bar through the 5Rs model: Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Respect.

“As with all coursework available through Educate All, ‘The Bar World of Tomorrow’ directly aligns with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” says EdApp CEO and founder Darren Winterford. “Coursework will cover all aspects of sustainable and responsible practices, from fresh ingredient use to responsible serving of alcoholic beverages to waste management.” 

This launch comes at the perfect moment: with a globe of bartenders out of work, Pernod Ricard and Educate All wanted to give industry members a way to advance their career. “This is exactly the way we envisaged the initiative being used by industry leaders, increasing access to free, critical and relevant training,” says Winterford. “In this case for the entire hospitality industry to benefit from.”

“The COVID-19 crisis has hit the hospitality industry hard. It is a time to prepare for the future we wish to achieve, one that is prosperous for the planet, its people and its communities,” says Pernod Ricard’s VP of sustainability and responsibility, Vanessa Wright. “The course is available worldwide and targets both bartenders and bar owners to educate them on sustainable and responsible practices for a greener and more inclusive future: ‘The Bar World of Tomorrow’.”

The “Bar World of Tomorrow” education platform will include stand-alone courses on ‘Alcohol and Responsible Drinking’. “This course, developed by Pernod Ricard, focuses on what alcohol it is, differentiates myths from facts and equips users with knowledge to encourage responsible drinking,” describes Wright.

Pernod Ricard has been a vocal advocate for promoting safe drinking practices. A recent campaign from Absolut, one of the spirits giant’s flagship brands, shone a light on the relationship between alcohol and sexual consent, under the leadership of Ann Mukherjee, CEO of Pernod Ricard North America.

The “Bar World of Tomorrow” is the newest step in Pernod Ricard’s 2030 Sustainability and Responsibility Roadmap, a detailed plan to make the spirits giant a more holistically environmentally-conscious company.

Other efforts under this umbrella include nurturing terroir through strategic biodiversity initiatives and regenerative agriculture practices, waste reduction efforts, and an ambitious reduction of carbon footprint. 

This shift to integrate sustainability into the conversation is part of a broader industry acceptance of sustainability. More and more brands are understanding that switching to holistic sustainable practices are essential not just to the brand’s environmental impact, but to the consumer. 

“52% of millennials and 48% of Gen Xers feel it’s important that their values align with the brands they like,” according to a 2018 survey from Euclid. 35% of baby boomers surveyed felt the same way.

More brands are pivoting production practices to account for environmental impact. In the bar world, the work of Ramage and Griffiths has made reusing citrus and upcycling ingredients more commonplace. There are now entire bars built around the concept, like the duo’s Supernova Ballroom in Toronto, The 18th Room in New York, and Claire Sprouse’s Hunky Dory in Brooklyn.

With industry-spanning education platforms like Pernod Ricard and EdApp’s “Bar of Tomorrow,” sustainable initiatives are set to be the norm as the next generation of bartenders are brought up with these practices.