The 1800 Tequila Greenhouse Bar at Carriageworks

1800 Tequila. It’s a tequila delivery service – right? Nah, it’s a nearly 50-year-old brand headquartered in Jalisco, Mexico, and named after the year tequila was first successfully matured in barrels. The company’s three distilleries have obtained a Clean Industry Certification from Mexico’s environmental protection agency (PROFEPA) for their practice of recirculating methane alcohol to generate steam, preventing atmospheric leakage.

Now the company has partnered with the Botanic Gardens of Sydney to create the Greenhouse Bar, a short-lived pop-up and art installation to raise awareness about Australia’s precarious biodiversity situation.

Some grim stats for you: seven countries, including Australia, are responsible for 60 per cent of the world’s current biodiversity losses; and more than 1300 species of native Australian plants are threatened or at risk of extinction. Worse, 61 per cent of us aren’t aware of the situation, according to research 1800 Tequila commissioned through YouGov last month.

“The Greenhouse Bar by 1800 Tequila represents an important partnership in our mission to raise awareness about Australia’s biodiversity crisis among young Australians,” says John Simeon, director of horticulture and living collection at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney. “This immersive experience not only celebrates the extraordinary versatility of Australian botanicals but also serves as a powerful reminder of the urgent need for plant conservation action.”

The soothing, greenery-clad bar showcases a selection of native species, including the critically endangered Scrub Turpentine. And Tom McHugh, 2022’s “most sustainable bartender”, created the menu’s four cocktails, all featuring Australian natives combined with 1800 tequilas. There’s a Margarita Highball, Iced Vovo Punch, Wattleseed Negroni and a Smoked Bee Pollen Old Fashioned.

Each ticket includes four half-serves of each cocktail and a cheese platter, with 100 per cent of sales donated to the Rainforest Seed Conservation project. Allow 90 minutes for the total experience.