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…
<

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.

these cute little coasters almost make me want to pick up the art of crocheting! almost. but, how cool are these? something to do with all those plastic bags, other than pick up the dog’s poo. download the free pattern, or order a custom made set at MY RECYCLED BAGS.COM

a little over a year ago, the Sunday Times featured a meat cocktail recipe. up until now, i’d only seen the use of flesh laden tipples in old cocktail books. but now, Pork margaritas were being served in brooklyn, and selling like hotcakes too. bacon-infused tequila in pork rind rimmed glass - ew. the fact that this occurred in the trendsetting city of brooklyn had me worried, for when brooklyn does something, new jersey follows suit. you know what that means: chicken daiquiris in applebees.

fast forward about a year… no chicken dacqueris at applebees yet, and the NY Times is again reporting on flesh. this time with an incredibly revealing piece on the business of meat. like the millions of cows that pass through its doors, this industry’s days are also numbered. YES!!! but, don’t worry flesh-hounds… it’s gonna take years. plenty of shell steak still to come, you’ll just have shell out a bit more for them. the article was written by a non-vegetarian and is therefore as unbiased as one can hope for. mark bittman simply reports the facts as they relate to the environment. no other industry issues (of which there are many) are discussed at length. it is such a truly enlightening read, especially if you are trying to “go green,” and i implore you all to consider spending your next free half hour doing just that. here is the link.

every bad girl likes a good sausage tipple. but sorry gals, these grade D cocktails are on the way out, so enjoy them while they last. meat is so last season… veggies are hot, flesh is not. enough redoric though, read for yourself about the uncanny medicinal power of a plant-based diet.

ONTO THE MEATY RECIPES:
my fave, COCK ALE from “Old Time Recipes for Homemade Wines, Cordials and Liqueurs from Fruits, Flowers, Vegetables and Shrubs” by Helen S. Wright


mad cow bunnies from “The Cocktails of the Ritz Paris” by Colin Peter Field.


BULLSHOT from AMERICAN BAR by Charles Schumann


from the COMPLETE HOME BARTENDER’S GUIDE by SALVATORE CALABRESE


CHILLED GINGER CAVIAR MELON MARTINI from death’s door spirits more on cruel caviar…



INFUSED CHICKEN VODKA from INFUSIONS OF GRANDEUR


BLOODY MESS from IMBIBE MAG


CRAPTAIL VIA CHOW


how about some meat stir sticks? add these pencil toppers to chop- sticks.


and last but not least, make your MEAT’TINI last longer…

yesturday, santa monica was the latest in a slew of california cities to officially implement a ban on the use of styrofoam beverage containers. (they are the only city to ban BOTH styrofoam AND non-recyclable plastics) suitable alternatives are more expensive in the all ready tightly budgeted and highly competitive restaurant business, instilling fear in many smaller establishments. sometimes the cost can be as high as double…
check out this awesome ceramic cup! only $20 at DCI PRODUCT VIA JOSH SPEARso remember peeps, you get what you pay for. ante up and save mama earth. new york, when are we going to jump on this BANdwagon?

VIA PACKAGING DIGEST
photo: MEDOFFICEDIRECT.COM

well, if ethyl alcohol is ruled by mercury (gemini & virgo), then “eco” alcohol certainly belongs to virgo. yes, the angel of purity and messenger of good, surely wishes those same qualities to be present in her libation. and good for the planet alcohol is infiltrating the spirit market; not a moment to late. check out the latest round up:

PHILLIPS UNION teamed up with a local FARMER’S COOP to create PRAIRIE VODKA organic corn vodka. yah… gm-free corn… there ain’t no gmo’s in this vodka!!!


PEAK SPIRITS is a colorado distillery that makes CapRock Vodka, CapRock Gin, Peak Eaux de Vie, and Peak Estate Grappa-ar from organic fruit and pure mountain water. they are secured the holy grail, and have been certified organic.

CORE VODKA from New York (the Empire State) uses every part of the apple, yielding no waste. The distillery has plans to make biodiesel from it’s waste, and to go “off the grid”. meaning, lowering their carbon emissions to below 0%. GO NEW YORK!

TRU VODKAS is the latest brainchild from the peeps over at MODERN SPIRITS. it’s a certified organic vodka made from American wheat and comes in recycled, recyclable or biodegradable packaging. a tree is planted for every bottle sold. (Straight, Lemon or Vanilla flavors)

DEATH’S DOOR SPIRITS: the latest eco friendly liquor to come across my laptop, also has the coolest name out of the bunch. must belong to scorpio (sign of death & rebirth). vodka and gin is made with herbicide and pesticide free ingredients that are locally sourced whenever possible. check ‘em out… their graphic design is too die for.

MOD MIX: LOVE the only organic cocktail mixer on the market today. my fave it the Lavender Lemon Drop, made with certified organic fruit, herbs and sugar.

ORGANIC SPIRITS CO: a good assortment of scotch, gin and wine are all offered by this truly “dark green” company. their current brands are:
SWORDSMAN GIN
GLEN TORRAN WHISKY
ISLAND OF GEESE ISLAY WHISKY
OLD BRIDGE WHISKY

SQUARE ONE VODKA: made with Certified Organic American Rye, this vodka is double thick cream in a sea of skim milk. i know of one snooty GREY GOOSE convert, who now exclusively drinks SQUARE ONE. i’m sure there are many more just like her…

360 VODKA: the actual vodka is not in any way “green.” but 360 makes up for that tenfold by innovatively focusing on what no other brand has: the packaging. not only is it recycled paper with environmentally sensitive printing, but their distillary is powered by Renewable Energy, and they donate to environmental groups through their “close the loop” program.

REYKA VODKA: this icelandic vodka is distilled using geothermal energy, provided by the country’s ubiquitous underground hot springs. plus, the website is hillarous - entering an age under 21 gets your redirected to seseme street.

SNOW LEOPARD: not an organic alcohol, but a very generous one that financially supports the preservation of the near-extinct snow leopard. kitty lover that i am, of course, they are my favorite eco liquor on the list. too bad this SNOW LEOPARD’s not available in the USA.

RAIN VODKA: made from Certified White Organic Corn. REPEAT: that’s NON-GMO corn! here in the USA! that in itself is a god given miracle. almost every single kernel of corn grown today is tainted, and carcinogenic. even that innocent pack of seeds you bought to plant in your garden this spring. GMO foods have been PROVEN to cause cancer. RAIN vodka will not cause cancer, drink up!

JAGUAR VODKA: ok, ok, i lied. SNOW LEOPARD VODKA is not my favorite eco alcohol. i have two fave eco alcohols: the former and JAGUAR VODKA. again, not an organic spirit, per say, but the company donates money to preserve endangered Jaguars. what is it about cats?!

ZODIAC VODKA: INTOXICATED ZODIAC’S soul mate is not an organic spirit, but one whose distillery Uses Renewable Energy. XOXO, luv ya ZODIAC VODKA ; )

SNOW QUEEN VODKA: definetely the most fashionable spirit on the list… the SNOW QUEEN ad resembles a vogue photoshoot. she’s one hot vodka, beautiful on the outside, and the inside, with Certified Organic Wheat ingredients.

RIVERS ROYAL RUM: it’s Grenadian. it’s Organic. don’t ask me where to buy it! you might start here.

LIQUID ICE VODKA: this certified, multi-grain (Wheat, Corn, Barley, Rye, Oat) Organic vodka is not only kind to mother earth… but to Jews as well. it’s kosher!

ORANGE V VODKA: this tasty orange vodka is not an organic spirit, albeit, their distillery Uses Renewable Energy.

VINCEREMOS ORGANIC SPIRITS: enjoy shopping guilt free from this Extensive Organic Selection. oh. yeah. liquor miles. oops. hmmnnn… time to offset your carbon!

X-RATED FUSION LIQUEUR: this pretty in pink liqueur calls upon Certified Organic Fruit Juices to make it’s equally attractive flavor.

VODKA 14: not only is VODKA 14 a Certified Organic American Grain vodka, but great care has been taken to ensure the environmental soundness of each aspect of the bottle. well, most aspects… baked on ink rather than plastic labels, and a “friendlier” pvc seal are just a few of the bottle’s eco perks. sleekly designed website to boot, a visit to VODKA 14 is advised.

WHITE GOLD RUSSIAN VODKA: claims to use organic grain. i can’t provide any evidence of that other than their word at the NEW YORK BAR SHOW last year. all though their printed collateral highlighted this, they have not updated their website to reflect their alledged environmentalism.

CHARBAY: the CHARBAY peeps use organic pomegranites, blood oranges and meyer lemons in their infused vodkas. hey, every little bit helps!

HALEAKALA DISTILLERS: thanks scott : ) the makers of the GMO-FREE, MADE-ON-MAUI RUMS, are hard core ecoists! They donate money to preserve the pacific whale population. and get this, their Company Vehicles are all run on Biodiesel. i feel their environmental policy is worth reciting:

“All products shipped from this store are packed in recycled materials. We, like everyone else in the industry, used to use styrofoam, but have now found superior recycled paper and cardboard containers which are themselves very recyclable. Byproducts which would be landfill waste in many other companies are used for energy. Everything used within the distillery which can be recycled is recycled. Our process water is returned to nearby cow pastures as a natural irrigation-applied fertilizer. Waste glass, metal, cardboard and other materials are taken to the Makawao recycling center.”

PURUS VODKA: even BUDWEISER is getting into the eco act with PURUS, made with locally harvested organic italian wheat. each bottle boasts a TREE-FREE label printed with soy ink which is then adhered with WATER-BASED ADHESIVE, and a SUSTAINABLY HARVESTED CORK stopper. woah…. PURUS also planted 100,000 trees in the USA as a promotional product launch. could PURUS be the king of vodkas?

FOSTER’S: In collaboration with the Australian government, Foster’s is Developing a Microbial Fuel Cell For Clean Energy Production. three cheers to their brand, STELLA ARTOIS, which recently sponsered a fundraiser to donate money to the fight against the illegal wildlife poaching trade.

JUNIPER GREEN ORGANIC LONDON GIN
UTKINS U.K. 5 ORGANIC VODKA (world’s only UNFILTERED vodka - extraordinarily smooth)
HIGHLAND HARVEST ORGANIC SCOTCH WHISKEY
PAPAGAYO ORGANIC RUM

4 COPAS TEQUILA: organically certified agave plants are distilled to create four different tequilas. to find out the difference between them, and other fascinating facts about this famous liquor, their website is a must. they have also nobly crafted a limited edition SEA TURTLE bottle, from which all proceeds were donated to seaturtle.org.

DEL MAGUEY MEZCAL: Soon to be CERTIFIED organic mezcal and tequila! check out their innovativerecipe section.

VEEV: Made with the trendy super-fruit, the acai berry, VeeV is not certified organic itself, but since the fruit is essentially wild-crafted it is pretty darn organic. VEEV takes impressive strides to give back to the environment from whence it came, with $1 from the sale of each bottle going towards green initiatives. VEEV is a carbon-neutral company, thanks to their wind-generated power, hybrid cars, and recycled paper packaging printed with soy ink from everything to the company’s business cards to cocktail napkins. also, their bottle is partially recycled - no word on whether that is POST-CONSUMER recycled or POST-INDUSTRIAL recycled. this makes all the difference in the world, as almost all glass produced is in some way recycled (post-industrial only).

BENROMACH WHISKY: Certified organic Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky. uses American oak casks made of wood from environmentally managed forests.

PRIVATE PRESERVE:and last but not least, PRIVATE PRESERVE presents the most environmentally friendly and most effective way that i’ve found to preserve wine. it’s also great for any oxygen-sensitive liquid including scotch, paint and vinegar. the can is recyclable aluminum and emits no cfc’s when spraying.

CHARTREUSE: this herbal liqueur is made with wild crafted ingredients, which is an act of environmentalism in and of itself.

ST. GERMAIN: the elder flowers need to make this incredibly delicious liqueur are wildcrafted and carted away on bicycles. sounds pretty eco-minded to me, no?

HANGAR ONE VODKA: small-batch, pot-distilled vodka, the next best thing to organic.

MAKERS MARK BOURBON: handmade using slow-cooked grain and other “old school” methods. again, not organic… but the next best thing and worthy of mention.

FRAGOLI STRAWBERRY LIQUEUR
is made with WILD strawberries. wild generally means sans pesticide, so that is a good thing. however, the brand’s use of carcinogenicRED DYE #40 is not.

still thirsty for more eco-booze news? check out some posts here:
KAISER PENGUIN
EXPLORE THE POUR
MARTINI GROOVE
THE LIQUID MUSE

did i miss anyone?