Picking your organic vodka: it's all about the packaging
Obviously drugs -- even the legal ones -- aren't very good for you, and most will get you arrested (or worse), but rumor has it that some people still take them anyway. So, with that in mind, the least you can do is work towards a more sustainable habit. To see all the substances we've covered in this series, see our Guide to Green Green Drug Use.
Vodka is a wonder alcohol, marvelous by itself and able to get along with every kind of mixer. It was also one of the first alcohols to be widely made with organic ingredients. Today there are dozens!
Purist insist that choice be based on taste, but since most of us like our vodka combined with fizzy, fruity and savory mixers, brand selection is more about how you want to be perceived than flavor. What you drink tells the world who you are, and that makes the packaging of paramount importance.
To help you find your perfect organic vodka, here is a guide to some of the more popular brands:
Square One Vodka. Like the name says, the bottle is a square. It's not frosted because that requires toxic chemicals. The label is made of bamboo, bagasse and cotton, all of which are sustainably grown, renewable fiber sources. Fairly easy to find on top shelves, for gal or guy who parties enough that you're tempted to bring your own glass to the bars.
Photo courtesy of Rob Nova via flickr
Vodka 14. The label is baked on ceramic pigments and every single element in the packaging can be recycled. Made in Colorado. Perfect choice for doing shots in the lodge after a long day of snowboarding, because you're too old for Jagermeister.
Rain Vodka. Makes the mistake of thinking that vodka choice is based on taste, and they don't talk about their packaging at all. Only for serious drinkers who are posing green for social points.
Crop Vodka. Unusual flavors of tomato and cucumber, with no information about packaging, appeals to the organic foodie who cares most passionately about the ingredients.
Ocean Vodka. Made in Hawaii with a pretty palm tree on the bottle. For the student on a tropical eco-volunteer vacation who wants an alternative to rum for all of those sultry umbrella drinks.
Tru Organic Vodka. Cool spelling and aggressive typography plus crisp black and yellow graphics make this the professional designers' vodka of choice. The packaging is recycled, recyclable or biodegradable and they plant a tree for every bottle sold.
Prairie Organic Vodka. Not just organic, also kosher. Even though the website is all flash and interactive, the style screams Laura Ashley goes to a bar and wants to try "one of those cosmo thingys like they drink in New York."
Purus Vodka. Made from organic Italian wheat, they will plant a tree for everyone who registers on their site. The sinuous bottle is made of 100% recycled glass, the cork is from sustainable forests, inks soy-based and the adhesives water-based. For the euro-loving do-gooder.
Vodka is a wonder alcohol, marvelous by itself and able to get along with every kind of mixer. It was also one of the first alcohols to be widely made with organic ingredients. Today there are dozens!Purist insist that choice be based on taste, but since most of us like our vodka combined with fizzy, fruity and savory mixers, brand selection is more about how you want to be perceived than flavor. What you drink tells the world who you are, and that makes the packaging of paramount importance.
To help you find your perfect organic vodka, here is a guide to some of the more popular brands:
Square One Vodka. Like the name says, the bottle is a square. It's not frosted because that requires toxic chemicals. The label is made of bamboo, bagasse and cotton, all of which are sustainably grown, renewable fiber sources. Fairly easy to find on top shelves, for gal or guy who parties enough that you're tempted to bring your own glass to the bars.
Photo courtesy of Rob Nova via flickr
Vodka 14. The label is baked on ceramic pigments and every single element in the packaging can be recycled. Made in Colorado. Perfect choice for doing shots in the lodge after a long day of snowboarding, because you're too old for Jagermeister.
Rain Vodka. Makes the mistake of thinking that vodka choice is based on taste, and they don't talk about their packaging at all. Only for serious drinkers who are posing green for social points.
Crop Vodka. Unusual flavors of tomato and cucumber, with no information about packaging, appeals to the organic foodie who cares most passionately about the ingredients.
Ocean Vodka. Made in Hawaii with a pretty palm tree on the bottle. For the student on a tropical eco-volunteer vacation who wants an alternative to rum for all of those sultry umbrella drinks.
Tru Organic Vodka. Cool spelling and aggressive typography plus crisp black and yellow graphics make this the professional designers' vodka of choice. The packaging is recycled, recyclable or biodegradable and they plant a tree for every bottle sold.
Prairie Organic Vodka. Not just organic, also kosher. Even though the website is all flash and interactive, the style screams Laura Ashley goes to a bar and wants to try "one of those cosmo thingys like they drink in New York."
Purus Vodka. Made from organic Italian wheat, they will plant a tree for everyone who registers on their site. The sinuous bottle is made of 100% recycled glass, the cork is from sustainable forests, inks soy-based and the adhesives water-based. For the euro-loving do-gooder.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-04-2008 @ 5:10PM
Andrew said...
wow, how have I not come across organic vodka before?! There will definitely be some testing going on in the near future...
Reply