ABOUT COCKTAILS: this is a great article on ways to green your bar.

ANHEUSER-BUSCH claims to be an environmentally-minded company. well, after watching the movie BEERS WARS i know you can’t trust them as far as you can throw one of their beer cans. now i see they were just named #41 in the Political Economy Research Institute Toxic 100 list of “the top US air polluters among the world’s largest corporations!” this is only one of their eco-offenses amongst a host of others, view them here. ready to boycott ANHEUSER-BUSCH? check out their product lines here.

MILLERCOORS produces, among others: Coors, Miller, Keystone, Cristal, Killian’s Irish Red, Blue Moon. i’m not a fan of huge suds corps (read my post to find out why), but at least this one is doing the environment right. this huge company has slowly been collecting a plethora of eco-commendations all worthy of a look-see. peruse MILLERCOORS GOES GREEN here.

FULLER’S ORGANIC HONEY DEW: the number one selling organic beer in Britain, is made with all organic ingredients, including malt, hops and honey. available in the USA this august…

THATCHERS ORGANIC ARTISAN LIQUEURS offers a plethora of flavors. the michigan based distillery uses organic ingredients, no artificial flavor, preservatives, or colors…

OSKAR BLUES ALUMINUM CAN: Every part of a can is recyclable, with less energy than it takes to recycle glass. It can be recycled and back on the shelf again in about a month. aluminum cans are much lighter than glass, so they consume less fuel to ship. The company is also working on a zero-waste project with Eco-Cycle Inc. In January and February alone, Oskar Blues saved over 17,000 gallons of water and 13,000 kilowatt hours of energy. They’ve prevented over 150 pounds of pollutants from entering the atmosphere, and saved 35 yards of landfill space and 43 trees.


vermont made SUNSHINE VODKA is made from 100% Certified Organic Grains and All Natural Vermont Spring Water.

On the outskirts of Temperance, MI, surrounded by sunny fields of corn, you will find the THATCHER’S ORGANIC ARTISAN LIQUEUR distillery. thatcher’sâ„¢ apple spice, blueberry, chipotle, cucumber, dark chocolate, elderflower, pomegranate and trés interessant tres chiles liqueurs are all certified USDA organic.

the only organic port on the market that i know of, NV CASAL DOS JORDOES TAWNY PORT is made in beautiful portugal.

LHASA BEER: This ground breaking tibetan beer donates 10 percent of its annual profits to non-profit groups supporting education, health care, cultural preservation and other socially responsible initiatives in Tibet. awesome.

INOCENTE TEQUILA comes in a handblown 100% recycled glass bottle–intended to be upcycled into a decorative vase, or to store vinegar, etc. a natural cork is used in each bottle, and each one is packaged (or not packaged) without a cardboard box to save trees. the agave is grown using only natural products and the soil is nurtured in the same manner. cheers!

the first product from this new company is FAIR VODKA, made with organic quinoa and other grains from around the world. The FAIR TRADE SPIRITS COMPANY uses strictly fair traded ingredients in it’s products… way to go!

TEQUILA TIERRAS – Warming Planet…. Check
Ice Caps Melting…. Check
Economies in Chaos…. Check
It’s time for a change! Tequila Tierras is turning it around.

BLUE ICE ORGANIC WHEAT VODKA made with organically grown american wheat.

CASA NOBLE ORGANIC CRYSTAL tequila is All made from 100% Blue Agave Certified Organic. cheers!

CROP Organic Vodka comes in three flavors: plain, tomato, cucumber. they are all delicious, smooth and honestly do taste “fresh,” i can attest to that firsthand. made from certified organic american corn, it is NON GMO. imbibe with a clear Conscience.

ORGANIC NATION GIN & VODKA handcrafted from certified 100% organic American Rye, Wheat and Corn. Look for rye, coffee liqueur and ginger vodka up next from these earth-lovin’ peeps… be sure to check out the recipe section of their website for some very creative cocktails.

MOMOKAWA Organic saké are the first and only saké to carry the USDA seal. From the rice paddy through the brewery, every step is certified.
- Green bottle maximizes recyclability.
- Screwcap uses recyclable materials and no capsule which minimizes waste.
- Label is printed on Tree Free paper that is made from renewable fibers including bamboo and grasses.
- Naturally sulfite free, no measurable glucose, lower acidity than wine.

LIV VODKA comes from Long Island’s North Fork using local potatoes and deep spring water. This new brand prides themselves on water recovery and land preservation. not organic, but the next best thing.

CUCA FRESCA CACHACA is made with organically grown sugar cane, and it has recently partnered with the RAINFOREST ASSOCIATION to increase awareness and offer fundraising support. major kudos to you CUCU FRESCA!

based in CA, LOFT LIQUOR’S LEMONGRASS CELLO, RASPBERRY, TANGERINE, BLUEBERRY, SPICY GINGER & LAVENDER LIQUEURS come from certified organic and biodynamic farms across the USA.


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. recently, 360 launched a new cola flavored vodka.

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.

check out my H2O IS THE MOST IMPORTANT COCKTAIL INGREDIENT post…