Green Cocktails
So the holidays are almost within reach, time to stop thinking about targets and deadlines and time to start thinking about Santa and sundowners! So, in order to help out in the entertaining department, the liveeco team has put together some ´green cocktail´ tips to make sure that you are perfectly equipped to prepare eco beverages for guests visiting over the festive season.
1. Use organic liquor, if possible
More and more organic spirits are coming on the market, but actually finding them in your local store is not always easy. Vodka seems to be the most commonly available of spirits, which is great for you because so many terrific cocktails have a vodka base. Producers of organic spirits often make smaller batches and some retailers are reluctant to carry a product that they cannot guarantee will always be in stock. Ask your local bottle store about stocking organic products. They won´t know you want it if you don´t tell them. liveeco loves Vodka 360.
2. Local is lekker
If you are lucky enough to have distillers in your region, it may make more sense to buy their products. Some producers may not be “organic,” per se, but some distillers are making ecologically sound efforts in their business practices. 360 Vodka has a paper reduction policy in place, uses compact fluorescent light bulbs and green cleaning supplies and has a significant recycling program in effect. And, even if your local distiller doesn´t actively engage in green practices, using locally produced products sure beats goods shipped across the entire globe!
3. Think seasonal
Try to choose cocktails to fit in with local, seasonal offerings. Take advantage of local fresh fruit juices and herbs in your summer drinks. Rather than make a traditional Screwdriver with orange juice, try a recipe that highlights a fruit that grows in your area such as grape or mango. If you are making a coffee-based drink, use organic dairy products and Fair Trade, organic coffee for those warming treats. liveeco loves Bean There for fairly traded coffee and Vida e for organic coffee.
4.Use green garnishes
Use locally produced olives in your martini. Fresh fruit such as strawberres or pineapple in the summer look beautiful floating in a cocktail glass. If you want to sprinkle a little chocolate over top over your Irish Coffee, be sure make it Fair Trade and organic. liveeco loves Hillcrest olives.
5. Make your own cocktail mixes
If you see a margarita mix in your grocery store, resist. There are lots of mixes and pre-mixed cocktails out there on the market, but that doesn´t mean you have to buy them. Making your own cocktails from scratch ensures that you know that the freshest, healthiest ingredients have gone into them, without preservatives or chemicals. Using fresh juice leaves you with pulp and skin to compost. Using mixes leaves you with unnecessary packaging to dispose of. Not only that, if you are using organic alcohol, you have a premium product. Messing it up with overly sweet mixes just seems wrong, doesn´t it?
6. Make your own spirits and liqueurs
If you´re up for a bit of a kitchen adventure, or you just can´t find it, make your own booze. If you´d like a G&T but can´t find an organic gin, make your own! The key to making gin is procuring the juniper berries. Then you can play around with the other ingredients until you have a recipe that appeals to you. Add the juniper berries to a bottle of vodka and let it sit overnight. In the morning add the rest of the ingredients. At the end of the day, strain the botanicals from the alcohol and voila! You have a bottle of really delicious gin. And the best part is, you´ll gain extra eco cred as your guests will be astonished that you made it!
7. Reuse or recycle empty liquor bottles
Square One Vodka comes in a beautiful bottle that can be reused as a vase, or filled with shells as a decoration, or used as the age old candlestick holder. Other bottles that don´t do as well doubling as vases should definitely be recycled according to your local recycling guidelines. In general, try to buy glass rather than plastic; it can be recycled infinitely, while plastic has a more limited lifespan. Stay away from bottles that have been etched, as a handful of nasty chemicals are required for that process. Companies like 360 Vodka use recycled paper and vegetable inks for their labels.
Click here to get more Green Cocktail recipes
The liveeco team
