how kitchy are these faux plastic cups?!

i don’t know where to buy them, but these glass “plastic” cups out of the Czech Republic are pretty cool… check em out at QUBUS DESIGN

i wish i thought of this! what a great idea from DCI GIFT… the I’M NOT A PAPER CUP cup… i want one now! ($20) VIA DESIGN MILK

those of you familiar with Intoxicated Zodiac know that pretty much every day is EARTH DAY around here! so i’m going to honor this holiday by paying homage to another that was sorely overlooked. that would be WORLD WATER DAY. it passed without much fanfare about a month back.

angus winchester wisely declares in the march 2007 issue of BARTENDER MAGAZINE, that the most important cocktail ingredient is not vodka, not gin, not lemon, nor sugar… it’s water! ice, ice, baby…

he states that “the most important thing he has learned in 15 years of bartending is a pint of water and two paracetemol before bed.” ok, i have no clue what para whatever is, but angus goes on to rightly claim that “bartenders should give them tap water at every opportunity. [he] suggests after a while those who drink water will feel better the next day and make the connection, or maybe you could use the reason you are encouraging water drinking to demonstrate your knowledge and increase your connection with the customer.” in [his] fantasy bar every cocktail would come with a water back.”

i could NOT agree more. i practically have to beg the bartender to get me water when i’m out for the night. not to mention, in a crowded bar who needs dehydrated bad breath? plenty water makes for more than just long lines at the lou, it helps freshen breath.

there are several types of waters which include mineral water, artesian water, sparkling water, spring water, sterile water and well water.

of course there are a zillion enhanced waters on the market. most recently, HOLY DRINKING WATER, has become available! yes, blessed water in a bottle.

last year, THE NEW YORK TIMES wrote a pretty groundbreaking piece on cocktails. it had to do with the spiritual quality of water and it’s effect on the taste of cocktails.

EMPLOYEES ONLY in NYC did an experiment inspired by a Japanese photographer Masaru Emoto, who believes that water is positively or negatively affected by energy. “By taking photos of frozen water molecules, Emoto found there was a difference in the crystal structures of water that had been blessed with prayer and water that hadn’t.” “So [they] conducted an experiment. Five bartenders, all making the same drink. A daiquiri. Measured pours. The same ice. And the drinks were all different. [They] repeated the experiment many times, and always the same result.” it brings a whole nother meaning to the phrase “think positive,” doesn’t it?

“We cannot know why this is,” Mr. Zaric said. “We can only observe the consequences.” But Mr. Zaric has a theory, of course. “If the bartender is relaxed and confident the drink will taste one way,” he said, pausing to shake a martini. “If he’s anxious, if his buttons are being pushed, the drink will taste another. The bartender doesn’t want to make you a bad drink — it just comes out that way.”

THE CRYSTAL ON THE LEFT WAS PHOTOGRAPHED WITHOUT PRAYER. THE ONE ON THE RIGHT WAS AFTER AN HOUR LONG PRAYER SESSION. a picture is worth a thousand words! (credit)

Below you’ll find some interesting water-related tidbits…

***the average amercian family consumes 300 gallons of water a day. when you count watering the lawn and washing dishes, clothes and cars. some ideas on recycling water:

1. while waiting for the tap to heat up, save the cold water in a pitcher and use it to flush the toilet. got a humidifier? empty it into the plants. and don’t let your pet’s unused water go to waste. don’t just dump it down the drain, dump it into a plant.
2. install a low flow showerhead.
3. collect rainwater. yes, you can set up a fancy gathering system. or just use a few five gallon pails to start with.

***the term WATER WAR refers not to kevin costners bombed movie, but a very possible catastrophe. corporations are buying up what was once free. forget about gold - water treatment stocks is where it’s at - but keep it diversified. not every company will make it, but the future is strong for liquid investments.

***if you’re in the big apple, catch the WATER=LIFE EXHIBIT running though may 26th, at the MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY.

check out this cool water “bridge” recently discovered by scientists. VIA PHYSORG

celebrate this earth day by appreciating water. also, it wouldn’t hurt to check out my OFFICIAL LIST OF ECO-ALCOHOL or to peruse colleen’s EARTH DAY PIECE too.

tomorrow, sat. march 29th at 8pm, the very first EARTH HOUR will take place. all lights will be off for a solid hour no matter location, occupation, situation, ect. easy if you’re home watching a flick, but not so easy if you’re running a restauraunt! some innovative peeps from the land down under thought up a good earthy tipple:

“Add A splash or two of vodka, spiced rum, prickly pear pulp, honey, one or two other ingredients and the finishing touch — a passionfruit shell soaked in alcohol and set alight. And you have it: THE EARTH HOUR COCKTAIL”

When bartenders Stuart Moss and David Cockayne, from St Kilda’s Mink bar, set about creating a drink to celebrate the global call for action on climate change they had some clear objectives.

The ingredients must be organic and symbolic of the seven continents. And because electric blenders will be switched off during the hour, it had to be muddled.

But the real challenge was that the cocktail should cast light on patrons sipping in the dark.

They investigated chemicals to make the drink glow in the dark — but that would be against the “organic objective” — and even considered mini solar panels dunked in the cocktail.

“We thought maybe tiny bulbs we could sit in the sun for the day to charge and then drop them into the drink,” Mr Moss says. “But it wasn’t feasible; it was too expensive ($40 a pop).”

After 15 hours of trial and error, it was an empty passionfruit shell soaked in rum and set alight that did the trick. The garnish can be set aside, shining bright for up to 10 minutes.

“I’m not going to change the world, but it’s raising awareness,” Mr Moss says. “If we can get people who are drinking at Mink … asking why are we drinking this, it’s a conversation point and they will start talking about it.”

Mink is one of more than 70 restaurants and bars around Melbourne, and some in regional Victoria, that have signed up to Earth Hour. Many are using candlelight for the hour or designing special menus using local ingredients to minimise “food miles”…

continue reading on THE AGE

i’m just on an green product roll here! how cute (ok, slightly cheesy, as in wine and cheese of course) is this wine caddy? brings a whole new meaning to the word “boozehound,” no? a noah’s ark of animals and different products are available. each is made from salvaged parts like factory rejects, bike parts, and scrap yard junk. made by hand in kentucky. ($60+ call or email to be directed to a store in your area, 800-828-9247 or customerservice@
yardbirds.info. you might also try googling “yardbirds wine caddy”) VIA YARDBIRDS

i have recently fallen in love with upcycled garbage! this bottle is one of many incredibly beautiful objets du art to cross my path that were rescued from our waste stream. only $150 A & G MERCH in brooklyn.

VIA THE NEW YORK TIMES

THE GRAPE is a funky, eco-chic wine rack. It’s made out of 100% post-industrial recycled, bio degradable and recyclable Styrofoam. It is unfortunate however, that styrofoam recycling is quite limited, and i doubt all of these cool objects will get recycled at the end of their useful lifetime. the styrofoam used is remnant styrofoam from production. this makes it after manufacturing recycled NOT after consumer recycled (it’s important to understand the difference.) you can own this “green” piece of functional art for a mere $120 from www.greenergrassdesign.com

did you know that there is an international group that goes by the name of GREEN DRINKS? across the globe, people who are proactively eco-conscious meet monthly to network with each other. they usually meet at a bar for happy hour. great name, isn’t it? i attended one of their nyc gatherings a few years back and it was totally chill. no pressure, no weirdness, just cocktails and casual conversation with other “green” peeps. interested? see if there’s a GREEN DRINKS group in your town at GREENDRINKS.ORG or join their group on FACEBOOK.

wow wow wow! 100% post-consumer recycled rubber coasters. BIG NOTE: black color only!!! (colored coasters are only 30% post-industrial recycled.) set of six pops on and out of a 6-pack-inspired holder. ($18) at JOSH JAKUS

how cool are these? reclaimed wine bottle glassware, vases, coat racks and candle holders. by the way, if you are a winery, and would like to partner up with the GREEN GLASS CO, they are looking for wine bottle donations… now that would be some good pr! everything goes for $33 - $73 at THE GREEN GLASS CO. if you haven’t all ready, sign up for the newsletter, the giveaway for march is some GREEN GLASS goodies…
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what to do with those old, unwanted door and cabinet knobs? why, stick them on a cork and call them KNOBSTOPPERS. yet another unique and wonderful recycled bar product! shop online for all sorts of reclaimed goodies, but note that the “vintage inspired” finial and faucet stoppers are not rescued, but new.