Enough with “sustainability” | Lost + Found: Superjuice

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The sustainability conversation in bars inevitably tends to focus on what’s easy to see. I’ve written about this before, and it applies here too. The fruit squeezed in front of the guest. The word “fresh” acting as a badge of quality. What’s discussed far less, by both guests and professionals, is what came before. Where the product came from. What it cost. How stable it is in flavor. And how exposed it remains to price swings and supply volatility. At Lost + Found Drinkery, superjuice became an answer to those questions.

The idea dates back to 2016. Some of you probably know what superjuice is. Others may not. Either way, the goal at Lost + Found was never to fully replace lime across the board, even though superjuice can partially do that. The thinking was more specific: could they create a liquid with the acidity and aromatic profile of lime, offering stability, measurable pH control, and independence from a wildly unpredictable market where lime prices can swing from €1.80 to €13 per kilo?

The idea was parked. The daily noise of a working bar doesn’t always leave room for experimentation. Until 2022, when a video by Kevin Kos brought superjuice back into the spotlight. The team at Lost + Found revisited the concept, adapted it to their own needs, tested it under real service conditions, and eventually integrated it into daily operations.

For the past three and a half years, the bar has been running largely on superjuice —not just for its more acid-forward cocktails and tiki drinks, where it all began, but across almost the entire menu. The objective remains clear: consistency at high volume, where flavor precision and acidity control are essential.

In numbers, the shift has resulted in roughly an 80% reduction in dependency on imported citrus. So far, the estimated CO₂ savings exceed 21 tons. These calculations are based on real purchasing data, actual sales volume, and estimated transport distances.

But the most important impact isn’t just in the numbers. Adopting superjuice reshaped the bar’s broader approach to sourcing, inventory management, ingredient shelf life, flavor control, and exposure to market volatility. It reduced waste, minimized instability, and shifted control away from the unpredictability of raw produce toward measurable composition.

In a high-volume bar, consistency cannot be a luxury. It’s an essential requirement. And when that consistency comes with a reduced footprint and lower cost, sustainability becomes an operational system, woven into both the processes and the ethos of the bar.

Disclaimer: CO₂ calculations are indicative and based on AI-assisted analysis using Lost + Found purchasing data, real sales volume, and estimated transport distances.