December 29th, 2008 · No Comments

By John DeFore

New Year’s Eve is upon us, an occasion when even teetotalers may be tempted to toss back a couple of stiff drinks. Celebrants concerned with the origins of their booze are in better shape than ever this year, with enough organically produced spirits available to intoxicate the whole of Times Square.

The most popular variety of liquor for organic producers appears to be vodka: You could stock a nice little bar choosing only from green-friendly vodkas with numbers in their names: Vodka 360 and Vodka 14, for instance, alongside Square One, whose promotional materials (after scrupulously detailing a tightly-controlled production process) offer plenty of unusual imbibing ideas, from “culinary style” to tea-infused cocktails.

In keeping with wider vodka trends, some offer varieties infused with things like cucumber; Crop Vodka goes a step further, offering the unusual choice of tomato infusion — an excellent idea for Bloody Marys.

Not content to stick with a single product, the Organic Spirits Company may emphasize its Juniper Green Gin, which it says is “the world’s first organic London dry gin,” but it also produces vodka (of course), plain and spiced rums, and even a scotch whiskey using organic methods. All have won awards, but the company seems most proud of an endorsement from the Royal Family, whose members probably know a thing or two about gin.

And lest you think there are only organic options for garden-variety spirits, check out the Del Maguey company, which as of this writing offers a whopping seven varieties of mescal, each of which is produced within a single Oaxacan village using no chemicals, colorings, or additives. (They also come packaged in distinctive straw containers that may be redundant packaging but are appealing enough to reuse in a variety of ways.) Find outlets, retailers and restaurants, on their website.

“Sip it, don’t shoot it,” the company urges, though it also suggests a tempting non-straight option: dropping a shot on top of a freshly made margarita. (Unless you’re the designated driver.)

Happy New Year!

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