You care deeply about your carbon footprint, your sanity, your cocktails. So when you saddle up to the bar at your favorite watering hole for that much needed Friday libation, why settle for anything less than organic spirits and liquors?
The new bottles on the block are making inroads into bars and eateries according to trend watchers like The Chic Ecologist. Stirred or shaken, it is easy to bond with the benefits, from low-glycemic sugar substitutes, to added fiber and protein to decreased hangover symptoms. Pick your poison – or rather – lack there of it – by shopping some of the cleaner booze boasting pesticide and dye free purity. Many of the brand creators make it a double by not only offering healthier ingredients but also doing their part for good causes.
Coming from a family of vodka enthusiasts, I was intrigued by the introduction of Square One founded by Marin County’s Allison Evanow. Taken in by the upscale hippie environ of her Northern California digs, she says she pondered the new-age, yet old question: “Why not put the ethos of the farmer’s market into a glass?”
Evanow left no stone unturned in the low impact alchemy: The mix called for pristine sprung water from the Teton mountains, organically certified North Dakota rye, and a process that requires single pass distillation to save on energy. The packaging also forgoes the ubiquitous frosted bottle for a distinct, square reusable bottle with a sustainable bamboo, easy-to-peel-off label. Meantime, the rye byproduct of the vodka making process packs a big fiber and protein wallop, allowing it to be sold as feed to an organic dairy farm. “We’re thrilled to be a vital link to the cradle-to cradle process of growing grain feeding cattle and creating the best martinis you’ve ever tried,” says the founder.
Other brands to wet your green whistle:
Described as the “king of tequilas” because of the maturity and flavor which appeals to scotch and cognac drinkers as well as tequila connoisseurs. In addition to the great blue agave sweetened with natural nectar, the hand-blown glass from local Jalisco artisans supports the work of Seaturtules.org. I’ll drink to that!
The first organic dry London gin contains pure water, grains grown without chemical fertilizers and a combo of 100 percent organic botanical herbs rounded up from the best international sources.
Highland Harvest Organic Scotch Whisky
This scotch is distilled from Soil Association certified organic barley blended from the Highland and is an incredibly smooth whiskey – one that has matured in oak barrels for four years before being released. The blend, rather than single malt, melds the flavors of organic malt and grains for young yield with a superior taste.
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