LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Expo Bar has only been open two weeks, but it’s already shaking things up. It’s serving unique cocktails, and it’s unique atmosphere is serving the environment.
“I care tremendously about the environment, and I care about the people around me, and I care about the animals on this planet, and I worry about what we’re doing to it,” said Expo Bar Co-Owner Nickle Morris.
Morris previously tended bar at The Pontiac in Hong Kong, listed in 2017 as a top 50 bar in Asia. The industry veteran said limited space in the city, along with no recycling, inspired him and others to think more about using what they have and reducing waste. So those values are inherent throughout Expo.
“If we’re going to be in a business that is inherently wasteful, and is inherently unnecessary, I think it’s our obligation to not make a bigger footprint if we don’t have to,” Morris said.
The big goal is to mitigate waste. For example, napkins are traded for hemp or cotton towels. Paper straws are only available upon request, and cocktails are not served with garnishes.
“I’ve never been a firm believer that it enhances the drink necessarily, and a lot of our drinks get an expression of citrus oil or something.”
Morris said waste from glass bottles can’t be avoided at a bar, but he told Spectrum News 1 that a manual crusher is on its way to crush glass into sand, which will be used for flood relief.
After 11 years in the industry, Morris has learned more than a thing or two. After he squeezes lemons for juice, he uses his own recipe to make another round using the excess peels for flavor.
“All that oil is in the skin so when you’re juicing it, you don’t always necessarily get it into the juice, but that’s also the flavor so you end up with a significantly more aromatic juice that way, which is why we call it super juice,” Morris explained.
The average cocktail costs $9. Morris said the bar is also making sure to sustain their employees. They only have a few so far, but they pay a higher wage, offer health insurance, and, at the end of the night, five percent of sales is shared with employees.
Expo Bar is located at 114 W. Main Street, Louisville, Ky. It’s open 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. daily. Follow the latest on their Instagram.