Beto del Toro of Mexico was declared the winner of the second edition of Torres Brandy Zero Challenge, earning the €30,000 prize to develop his innovative project. The Rufina Mezcalería founder, based in León, represented Mexico in the global final which took place this week in Barcelona and received the highest score from the jury for his ‘Zero Workshop: Giving a second chance’ initiative and his eco-cocktail.
Del Toro’s winning proposal transforms Rufina’s discarded glass bottles into glasses, lamps, ashtrays, cups, or barware, bypassing traditional recycling to cut carbon emissions. The jury was persuaded by the project’s potential for environmental impact reduction, its scalability, and its social value – providing employment for seniors facing job market challenges due to their age.
A Jalisco native, Del Toro is a passionate environmentalist and advocate. As part of León’s environmental commission and owner of several establishments, he implements sustainable solutions such as a system of plant cultivation and water harvesting. He believes that "glass should have a life beyond a single use" and advocates circular and social economies. "Giving a voice to the planet is my mission”, he proclaimed to the judges.
Torres Brandy Zero Challenge is the only competition that recognises and rewards sustainable bar projects to promote a new mind-set in mixology that prioriatises the environment. The global final brought together contestants from 10 countries on March 20th, in Barcelona, where they showcased their projects and prepared a cocktail demonstrating their creativity and adaptability.
Christian Visalli, Global Spirits Director of Juan Torres Master Distillers and jury member, commented the high calibre of entries. "We are very proud to witness this initiative stimulating and inspiring the hospitality sector. We were impressed by both the level of all the projects submitted and the growing commitment of the sector to environmental and social sustainability issues. We look forward to seeing the implementation of the winning project and will continue to support the sector, as we will soon announce the third edition of the Torres Brandy Zero Challenge", Visalli said.
The projects that the other finalists presented during the competition include 'Making tropical more topical' by Finland’s bartender Juho Tuppurainen which involves reducing the carbon footprint in bars by replacing imported fresh and tropical products with local products; 'Yes we can' by Felix Cohen from the UK, focusing on aluminium can collection; ‘So fresh so clean’ by Italy’s Marco Crobu, repurposing waste into natural soap production materials; and 'Circular Territory' of Spain’s Alberto Díaz. Also joining this year’s competition were Loni Lewis from the United States, Jason Strohan from Canada, Regor Siiner from Estonia, Rokas Tolvaiša from Lithuania, and Giedre Bielskyte from the United Arab Emirates.
