the smokiness of the mezcal combined with the depth of the spices and the sweetness of the cider works perfectly together. perfect like virgo, but when you’re freezing anything warm is perfect! seriously though, this is a good one that’s easy peasy to make. and, i add woefully, it was a best seller at the now-defunct mexican gastropub, comida mercado fresco : (

this cider is host to a plethora of ingredients–indeed it has all 12 signs in it! but i’m going to go with virgo here and pick coriander to focus on. why? because so many of us don’t realize that coriander is actually cilantro! yup, that’s right… when cilantro goes to seed, the seeds are then picked and… voila! we have coriander.

and as you know, because you are such good little students, cilantro is ruled by mercury, who is the fast and furious ruler of the most perfectionistic sign in the zodiac: virgo. this is due to its lacy foliage and fragile quality, indicative of Mercury’s quick and wispy nature. Mercury is our fastest orbiting planet. Cilantro’s flower also happens to be “perfect.” of course.

here’s some trivia for ya…. Linda Gilbert states “In literature, coriander is mentioned as an aphrodisiac in The Tales of the Arabian Nights. And those famous sugarplums which fill children’s dreams at Christmas time were originally sugar coated coriander, a treat that offered a sweet start and then a spicy burst of flavor. Later the recipe included small bits of fruit and became the confection we know today.”

HOT MEZCAL CIDER:
2 oz mezcal (organic del maguey is recod)
fill with spiced cider
serve in a mug, garnish with an orange bow

SPICED CIDER:
1 gallon cider
10 whole cloves
4 cinnamon sticks
15 coriander seeds
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon
(toast spices in skillet, add to cider in sauce pot, simmer for 10 minutes, store in fridge.)

Thanks to christopher drummond’s natural beauty blog, ALL REAL BEAUTY, for noticing that we are “More Than Just a Candle!” And we noticed that his blog is an incredible resource for the scoop on natural products. wanna know what all those fancy ingredients listed in your mascara really mean? or what exactly a paraben is? if so, this blog is a MUST-READ!!!

VIA ALL REAL BEAUTY:
“Ever think that a candle was just a candle? Well we are here to prove you wrong. Just when you think there is nothing special about a candle, in walks Intoxicated Zodiac. More specifically, they have a line called “Celestial Cocktail Candles”. (I just realized that I said “candles” about 50 times in that last paragraph…)

“Interesting” you say?

Each candle is made for a specific sign in the zodiac. According to the website, “Each sign has an exclusive scent which is associated with it’s unique Cocktail recipe. The recipes utilize plants, herbs and flowers connected with each individual sign. Imagine inhaling a scent formulated specially for you… therapeutic, supportive, cleansing–Celestial Cocktail Aromatherapy! Heal thyself with the ancient principles of Cocktail Astrology.”

The candles are green (soy based, clean burning, non bleached wick….) and are only $32….

Clean candles like these are the way to go….paraffin based candles are bad to inhale, and have known toxins in them. With 2011 right around the corner, let’s start the year out as clean and toxin free as possible! Plus, you’re supporting a boutique brand, which is all the rage for the new year…”

Our Intoxicated Zodiac candles will be in Henri Bendel through holiday. Swing by and pick up the perfect stocking stuffer, birthday present, hostess gift, or haunakah present. Because all the best gifts come in brown and white boxes ; ) Imbibe Wisely, Live Healthy, Love Freely, Burn Safely… Cheers to a blessed yuletide season!

today is BLOG ACTION DAY and the subject is…. WATER. wow, talk about the collective conscious finally choosing to recognize the importance of water! apparently the winning vote of water was a landslide against the other potential topics… and, take a look around these days… it’s all about water! i’m proud to say i’ve been blogging about water almost since the inception of this blog, almost four years ago. and as i have said before, while i’m certain there are many incredible varieties of water out there, in my humble experience there is no water like kangen water. but this water is not good for everyone… it’s really bad for scrip-happy doctors, the pharma companies. but for everyone else, it’s going to change your life dramatically. if everyone had a kangen machine the world would be a much, much better place. and one day, god willing, everyone will. or by that time our water will be so wonderfully pure that you won’t need one. beware: once you start drinking this medicine, or water, your ailments will begin to pail. some will cease instantaneously, and some will take longer… but one thing is for certain and that is your doctor will miss you.

here are some results i have seen personally on friends who use the water. i would tell you the results of my family drinking the water but they are resistant to the “wisdom” of gwen. most members prefer to ignore my crazy notions…

1. my mom’s friend’s doctor put her on all sorts of blood pressure medicine. each one were gave her a different and awful side effect. so, i suggested she drink the water. as an aquarius, she thankfully had an open enough mind to try it and the next day she had her blood pressure tested. it was down. she decided to try again in case that was the placebo effect… a few weeks later she knew she had a doctor’s appointment coming up and she drank the water for a few days prior in preparation. again, her blood pressure was down. she conducted this little test on herself before committing to buying a machine. and here’s the cincher… she conveyed the reason for her “miraculous” results to her brainwashed doctor, and guess what? nothing. the dumb ass ignored. three times. so there you have it with the majority of doctors… they are the ones who need to see a “doctor!” she finally bit the bullet and put a kangen machine on her counter, and she loves it. her 3 year old grandchild is able to go potty without “straining” as she always had. and her 7 year old grandson loves it and calls it magic water. whenever she asks him if he would like some more magic water he always comes eagerly running over. he says it makes him feel good. what a wise little capricorn! on another note, she says she has so much more energy and she feels terrific. she’s going on vacation next month and she’s taking her kangen machine with her!

i mentioned my friend joyce, the 75 year old scorpio, bought a machine for her ailing dog. unfortunately, the water did help sweetie, but it came too late to save her life, all though it did extend it by many months. however, joyce has reported that her life-long problem “down there” is non-existent now. she is ecstatic, as you can imagine! she also tells me that she has much more energy, and she can’t stand to drink any other water now. her mouth just doesn’t want to swallow non-kangen. i know the feeling! she also tells me that she had been unable to grow her nails her entire life. and now… voila! strong, long, healthy nails comin’ right up! lastly, she has been getting compliments on her hair. she has found that it is full of body and feels like silk. this is because the hair follicles were so dehydrated from our “normal” water which is unable to penetrate out cells due to it’s large size, that it can therefore not deliver the oxygen in H2O.

(photo)let’s talk about kangen water. it is not only 30 times more antioxident than green tea, but it filters out almost every possible toxin known to man. i say almost, because there are some very stubborn elements like say toxic fluoride, that are really hard to catch. but my favorite part of kangen water is something that is not well known, and that is that it is molecularly restructured. i never knew there was such as thing as big water and small water and light water and heavy water. but there is, and they are hugely different. light water, or small water, is comprised of less molecules. heavy water or big water is composed of more molecules. an average water cell is 12-15 molecules. when it is passed over the titanium platinum plates of a kangen machine it is reduced to 5-7 molecules. this small size allows it to permeate our cell membranes and deliver the oxygen it’s intended to: H2O, after all is hydrogen 2 oxygen. so, when you think you are sick, just understand that really you are thirsty. your body is starving for oxygen, and that oxygen is contained with water. the quality of the water cell and it’s ability to hand out the oxygen, is akin to sending aid workers with food to a foreign country. you wouldn’t send them in with a hyndai, they’d get much further with hummer, no?

if you want to know how our water supply became “big” when it used to be “small,” well that’s due to pollution. toxins, and absence of mineral wealth in the groundwater, and negative energy all increase the size of the water molecules. spiritual scientists are now discovering that energetically speaking, the more natural, healthy, calm, spiritual, ect. and area is, the better the structure of it’s water molecules are. our thoughts influence our water. water has a consiousness all of its own. that may sound far-fetched but think about it… water is truly the elixer of life… we are composed of 70 trillion cells that cannot function with it. we are water. and we are alive. therefore, water is alive. water is life. there are many ways to live one’s life… and as such, there are many ways to influence the quality of water. to all you naysayers out there…. water is not just water.

http://intoxicatedzodiac.com/blog/2010/06/26/care-for-a-kangentini/

http://intoxicatedzodiac.com/blog/2010/09/16/astro-shrink-water-water-everywhere/

http://intoxicatedzodiac.com/blog/2010/09/02/aerosmiths-steven-tyler-kangen-water-groupie/

http://intoxicatedzodiac.com/blog/2008/04/22/h20-is-the-most-important-cocktail-ingredient/

stevia, the herb that escaped the FDA black list, unlike that other powerful green leafy, marijuana. the powers that be have to decided to gift us the sweetness of stevia. thank you dark forces. in this dawning era of full disclosure and transparency, it’s being welcomed by america with open mouths. this plant is an ancient herb… why have we not been privy to its bounty before??? because it’s not a moneymaker for anyone other than the stevia grower and producer!!! in other words, its consumption won’t lead to obesity, which will lead to disease, which will lead to pharmaceuticals, which will lead to your wallet being drained on a constant basis. there are no nasty side effects with this magical herb. it is even safe for diabetics. the one small problem is that there is a subtle aftertaste. but one gets used to it very quickly, especially when one realizes there are no calories, no fat, no nothing, but flavor. i now carry around a bag of stevia in my purse, so that i can whip it out at starbucks and the like. i did that the other day and the clerk laughed, admitting her dad does the same thing… i couldn’t believe it. another freak.. i’m not the only one? wow, cool.

i grew some stevia in my garden this year and low and behold, the raw leaves really do taste like sugar. it’s crazy! i made a cocktail, of course, muddling the leaves. it actually wasn’t sweet enough, so i had to add some granulated stevia into the shaker before the drink became palpable. as with all herbs, when the leaves are dried the intensity of the flavor is magnified. stevia is available in almost any grocery store at this time. i dug my stevia up and brought him inside of the winter. he’s so cool… i can’t bear to see him die off in the next heavy frost. but, in this icy part of the world, stevia is considered an annual. if you prefer to shop for stevia rather than grow it… no prob! only a few months ago it was hard to find. we are loving stevia. health food stores will have more options besides the powder form… stevia pills, stevia serum… it’s all good–i’ve tasted every shape and form. whatever you do, don’t fall for the latest trick which is to rename the bad, lab-made sugars with cute, natural names like “IDEAL”—and color the package green with a leaf or something along those lines. always read the labels because there should be one ingredient listed and that is STEVIA (all though, on some brands dextrose is also listed as an ingredient).

STEVIA SOUR:
1 1/2 oz choice of spirit (i love gin)
3 sprigs fresh stevia
3/4 oz lemon juice
stevia powder or serum
***muddle and adjust with stevia powder to taste. shake over ice and enjoy that way too. garnish with a sprig of stevia.

october is the first ever NON-GMO month… just say NO to GMO!!!

In my tiny area of the globe, I am a gardener, keeper of animals, feeder of birds – someone who is concerned about the protection of the earth, land, soil, waterways, air, and all living beings. Increasingly, I am aware of the myriad ways we have become detached from nature, and the natural ways of living on the planet. One of the main issues of concern is our lack of knowledge about where our food comes from.

(photo) Recently, the Corn Refiners Association applied to the FDA to change the name of high fructose corn syrup to “corn sugar.” Apparently, more and more consumers have been reading labels and they don’t want the syrupy stuff in their food. Now, an attempt to put another
blindfold over the eyes of the American public has been made, to lead us to believe that their product, implicated in the nation’s obesity epidemic, is nothing more than sugar from corn. (Gwen’s Comment: Have you seen the ads on TV yet? They’re hysterical.)

I can detect high fructose corn syrup in any product. It cheapens the taste and has a sickly sweet flavor. “Corn sugar” will do the same. It isn’t like regular sugar and doesn’t taste like it even though the argument laid out by the Corn Refiners Association is that high fructose corn syrup has the same nutritional value as sugar. Well, for Pete’s sake, who eats sugar for its nutritional value, which is nil? Let’s not forget the real issue is that we, as a nation, consume too much sugar in any form.

Even if you are a fan of eating products that contain high fructose corn syrup, I think it’s still wise to know the source of what you are putting into your mouth. Anything derived from corn (and soy or rice) carries the potential to be genetically modified (GMO) so it can withstand a few solid drenchings of pesticides and herbicides, including Monsanto’s Roundup. The corn can also be modified by changing its DNA so that it “naturally” wards off bugs and increase crop yields. (Gwen’s Comment: crop yield increase has been found to be untrue in numerous studies)

(photo) Currently in the United States, the FDA has not required genetically engineered products to be labeled as such, while many other countries have demanded the labeling, including the European Union. A number of people work in the government, including the FDA, who stand to gain through their association with corporations like Monsanto, thus the labeling law has gotten bogged down in red tape.

Labeling all products with GMO ingredients is a vitally important issue that we as consumers must insist upon. The FDA hasn’t required labeling, indicating it’s too complicated. They say the evidence against GMO food isn’t clear enough, they don’t want consumers like me and you to look down on GMO ingredients in our food, and, what they don’t say, is that there are powerful people with corporate interests whose personal wealth will be negatively affected when we stop spending our money on their products.

We do know that there are adverse health effects from this form of biotechnology, that it was not and hasn’t been studied properly before it was used in the food supply, and that the use of GMO seed in crops contaminates other fields, including those that are organic. We also know that in many cases, more pesticides and herbicides have to be used on these crops. If you would like to learn more about this, read Dr. Joseph Mercola’s article entitled “10 Reasons to Avoid Genetically Modified Foods” at http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/02/27/10- reasons-why-no-one-needs-gm-foods.aspx. (Check Gwen’s side bar link category, ECO WHORES, for additional resources on genetic modification.)

(photo) Whenever I write about these concerns, and when colleagues have done the same, someone (often working in Washington, DC) responds with a scathing letter, an attempt not to state facts, but rather disqualify the author and further confuse the public. The responses are personal attacks instead of rational disputes. This is spin, and it’s done because big money is involved, they know the facts are building against them, and they’re afraid the American public won’t remain in the dark for long.

But the American consumer is king and all we need is knowledge. We are the ones with the money who buy the products, and there is power in that. We could change the system at any time, with the dollar. By buying whole organic food, preferably from local farmers, and shunning the processed food world or at least demanding proper labeling, each of us declares that we support foods (including corn) to be grown the way nature intended, not modified by scientists, however well-meaning they might be. Keep in mind, all non-organic foods you pay for that contain corn (and soy) derivatives are likely to in some way support the GMO practice, while allowing chemical companies like Monsanto to control our food supply. This includes conventionally grown beef and chicken, since they are subjected to the GMO food in their daily feed.

October 2010 is the first official “Non-GMO month” involving more than 580 natural food stores nationwide. This will be to promote awareness and celebrate your right to choose food that is not genetically modified. You can learn more about the event by reading a press release from the executive director of the Non-GMO Project: http://www.nongmoproject.org/wp-content/uploads/ 2010/07/Non-GMO-Month-Press-Release.pdf.

If you want to watch two good movies, see The Future of Food and Food, Inc. They help clarify these issues, and at the very least, make us more aware of the necessity to have a GMO labeling law. This law might be complicated to enforce, but no more so than the prospect of an entire food supply being contaminated.

(photo)

If you’re interest is piqued, read Jeffrey Smith’s book Seeds of Deception. For more on the American food industry read Marion Nestle’s Food Politics and Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation.

A descendant of Midwest farmers who came to California to work in the fertile Central Valley, I’ll continue to be an advocate for organic farmers and local farmers’ markets. I hope you will do the same, or we run the very real risk of being fed solely by a chemical giant who doesn’t have our best interests at heart.

NON-GMO’TINI:
1 part grenadine
(that does not contain corn syrup, unless organically grown)
1 part vodka
(that is not made with corn, unless organically grown)
1 part clear citrus
(lemon or lime, which has not been genetically modified)
top with tonic water
(that does not contain corn syrup, unless organically grown)
add ice, stir, adjust to taste, cheers…
to a world free from the unseen ravages and false truths of genetically modified foods!

Dr. Christina Grant is a holistic healer and spiritual counselor who uses astrology in her work to help people better understand their purpose and life circumstances. She works in person and by phone. She has helped hundreds of people attain physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being through personal transformation. Her writing is published nationwide. To learn more, see WWW.CHRISTINAGRANT.COM

The Environmental Protection Agency warned that drinking water pollution is one of the top environmental threats to our health. Contaminants are routinely measured in municipal drinking water including lead, cadmium, mercury, metals, pesticides, fertilizers, and chlorine. These can enter your body not only by drinking the water, but through bathing in it.

Our blood is 90% water and our muscle tissue is 75% water. We need to drink clean water to deliver nutrients and oxygen, discharge metabolic wastes, and clear out toxins. Our ultimate goal is to relieve the body from daily environmental stressors, but what do we do when
one of these stressors is our own water? Although water from our faucets and city water supplies is ordinarily safe from bacteria and harmful organisms, undesirable contaminants in the water are an ongoing concern.

One of these contaminants is fluoride. As an additive to public water supplies, fluoride has been banned as unsafe for public health in many countries, yet it is added to many municipal water supplies in the United States with assurances that it is a “proven health measure.” Michael Barbee, author of Politically Incorrect Nutrition says, “Fluoride improperly mineralizes many tissues, including bones, joints, and teeth. It also disarms the immune system and calcifies the pineal gland.”

Despite the urgings of dentists, fluoride may not be necessary to protect teeth. Tooth decay appears to result from a poor diet and lack of basic hygiene. You can read more about this theory at http://www.westonaprice.org/notes-from-yesteryear/186-price-and-fluoride.html. And if you’re interested in how fluoride became so widespread, read The Fluoride Deception, written by Christopher Bryson, which details how public opinion has been molded to believe fluoridation is a good thing. See a review of Bryson’s book at http://www.westonaprice.org/book-reviews/thumbs-up/380-fluoride-deception.html.

(photo) Fluoride and other contaminants aside, we still must find a way to have healthy drinking water. Coffee, sodas, and other commercial drinks don’t adequately hydrate the body like pure water does. Lack of water in the body weakens immunity and increases susceptibility to disease because water actually protects cells from diseases and viruses. When your cells lack water, it is easier for foreign invaders to enter them. Adequate water holds the cells in a structure that allows for optimal functioning.

In regard to healthy water, Mu Shik Jhon, Ph.D., author of The Water Puzzle and The Hexagonal Key tells us, “What was once only theory is being confirmed. Water has a specific structure which varies with environmental conditions.” He tells us that water around cancer cells is less structured than water around normal cells. His research has shown that cancer has a common feature: the destruction of the water structure at a cellular level. Dr. Mu Shik Jhon says when hexagonal structure of water near cells is compromised, cells are more vulnerable to (photo) external stimuli. Cells surrounded by less structured water are weaker and more prone to malfunction and genetic mutation. “The failure to consider water’s impact during disease may be a glaring oversight,” he says, and goes on to say that water is especially critical for cancer patients, protecting cells from environmental damage. Through this research, some have suggested the possibility of returning cancer cells to a normal state by improving the water environment at a cellular level.

The road to good health involves being adequately hydrated with healthy water. Bottled water is not optimal unless you know the source is pure and it comes in glass, as plastic is an environmental pollutant that can leach toxic chemicals into your water.

What to do? Filter your own drinking, shower, and bath water with high quality filters. Look for filters for your drinking water that eliminate contaminants found in your municipal water. To learn more about the tap water in your community, see the Drinking Water website for the United States Environmental Protection Agency at http://water.epa.gov/drink/index.cfm.

GWEN’S THOUGHTS: i love ASTRO SHRINK’S post this month, because i’m all about the water! after studying kangen water for 6 months now, the ground breaking research on water i have found has left me flabbergasted. forget about food. forget about nutrients (for now.) forget about everything except straightening out your water supply. a dependable source of high quality water needs to be your number one priority. then worry about the other stuff. every single disease in the world comes from a single trigger: dehydration in the body. lack of absorption. problem solved. it’s almost too simple. change your water, change your life. i have been going on about the alkalinity of kangen water, which is great at resetting the ph of our body to a normal state by reducing the acid. (photo) but, equally important is the molecular structure of the kangen water molecule. it is highly structured, and i’m told that this can be witnessed this by washing your car. the combination of soapy water on the waxed car will bead up, but kangen water will create sheets. this illustrates the water’s connective properties, which enables kangen water to move through our the body 3 dimensionally. this is akin to spirits walking through the walls of a house, the same way the spirit of this water moves through the walls our our cells. kangen water does not use the traditional pathways, or veins for lack of a better word, that regular water uses. ASTRO SHRINK advises everyone to seek out the best possible water for themselves and their loved ones, (photo) and i can promise you all that you need look no farther than your local kangen water distributor. this is the rolls royce of water. the cream of the crop. don’t put a price tag on your health. get kangen! if you can’t find one, email gwen@intoxicatedzodiac.com. and here’s a great idea, if you’re getting married, or having a Bat Mitzvah, birthday, ect… but a kangen machine on your gift list, because kangen is the china ; ) hear, hear, a toast to raising the vibration of our planet through water…

give the gift life: GIVE WATER. watch the movie trailer HERE.

Dr. Christina Grant is a holistic healer and spiritual counselor who uses astrology in her work to help people better understand their purpose and life circumstances. She works in person and by phone. She has helped hundreds of people attain physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being through personal transformation. Her writing is published nationwide. To learn more, see WWW.CHRISTINAGRANT.COM

i wish i could attend, but this is one weekend that i am booked solid for. if you can make it, there is a SPILL INTO WASHINGTON DC to rally for the gulf, this labor day saturday & sunday. (BTW, did you know that our commander in chief cashed in his BP stocks the week before the accident, along with BP CEO?) if that doesn’t get ya fired up, i don’t know what will!

for details on this unprecidented march on the capital, visit SPILLINTOWASHINGTON.org, or buy a tee shirt now for $20. car pools are being organized… this will be one for the history books, peeps.

you can also help the gulf by purchasing our charity SPILLTINI™ martini kit. fifty cents from each sale will be donated to gulf rescue.

we here at IZ are trying our best to do what we can for the gulf disaster… thanks to my friend katherine for suggesting i turn the GULF SPILL COCKTAIL into a saleable item. great idea! for only $10, you can sip your very own SPILLTINI™, fifty cents from each purchase will be donated to charities assisting with the gulf of mexico oil spill. each kit makes about eight-ten drinks, because SPILLTINIS™ are best enjoyed with friends.

cheers to finally, for the most part, securing the gulf’s gusher. it’s only been since april 20th, but as they say better late than never. question is… will it hold? and will this have taught us anything?

this spring’s gulf spill was so big it overshadowed the other disastrous oil spills happening around the world simultaneously. like say, the other gulf spill. or the spill in the red sea. in fact, it is estimated that oil spillage off the coast of nigeria surpasses that of the gulf of mexico spill, EVERY YEAR! (but because it affects shack-dwelling africans, rather than wealthy, ahem, americans we don’t hear about it. if you’re an oil spill junkie, you can keep up with the latest crude catastrophes here on wiki. whatever you do, please don’t tell me we need to drill, baby drill. oil spills are not isolated incidents, and now matter what drilling precautions are taken in the future, or how many safety laws are adopted, the spills will remain inevitable. it’s time to get our alternative energy on!

of course in the apocalyptic (unveiling) times we find our selves living, this whole scenario comes as no surprise. earth has an incredibly challenging–and blessed–chart forecast for this summer. a perfectly synchronized cocktail party of cardinal crosses, grand squares, sensitive trines, new planets, stressful angles and unrelenting celestial energies that are stripping our world and everything in it to its core, exposing the flaws in both our own personal lives, and in the bigger sociopolitical arena. hello BP cover up? hollywood couldn’t write a movie like this! but get ready for more still because august is predicted to be the most intense month yet, according to most astro blogs. “We are in the midst of formidable astrological energies. we finally undergo a Grand Cardinal Cross on August 7th 2010.”

but hey, think positive peeps, because the fun lies in rebuilding it all, better than it ever was. after all, my fave ascended master saint germain, has decreed this to be the golden age–and 2010 the year of creation. if you still think the gulf spill was merely an unfortunate accident, you’ll think again after reading these words of oil wisdom from gerald o’donnell.

i concocted this libation to symbolize our addiction to oil. the glass is rimmed with sand, the contents are saturated in crude, and the garnish is floating, belly-up. because i don’t know about you… but i could use a drink.

GULF SPILL
1.5 blueberry juice oz
.5 oz kahlua
.5 oz chocolate liqueur (i prefer godiva)
3 blueberries
sand colored sugar, like raw or demerara
optional:
bar spoon chocolate sauce to make extra chocolatey! if you’re an addict, and chocolate is your poison, might i suggest CHOCAGAVE. this stuff is amazing and sort of healthy (considering that it is chocolate sauce!)

shake ingredients over ice and strain into sugar-rimmed glass. float berries on top.

what i love most about FRAGOLI STRAWBERRY LIQUEUR is the cute little strawberries floating in the bottle. they look like little strawberry stars, floating in a sea of passionate strawberry love… yummy!

it’s unfortunate that the beautiful red hue is augmented with dye not from natural sources (aka oil). i recently learned that italy banned the use of cochineal beetles to provide color in food-grade products. as this colorful libation is from italy, i guess FRAGOLI didn’t have a choice. but in this time of getting back to nature, it’s ironic that we’re increasingly expected to consume toxins. i wish they’d stop doctoring up our food and drink with dye, sulfur and god knows what. personally, i’d rather consume a little less color and a possess little more health!

but, hey, the good news is that FRAGOLI’S strawberries are wild-picked––hence free from pesticide. (750 ml $36 / 375 ml $20 / prosecco gift basket $30)