9 Must-Have Organic Spirits and Craft Cocktail Essentials: Drink Consciously!
Drink up! Delicious craft cocktails made with organic spirits are more sustainable and environmentally friendly than ever. Today’s trend of fresh fruit and herbs in the glass make craft cocktails more like a fragrant garden instead of an (artificially flavored) blue lagoon.
Organic Authority caught up with Ryan Wainwright, Bar Director extraordinaire at Viviane in Beverly Hills’ Avalon Hotel.
A mover and shaker in the cocktail world, literally, Wainwright ensures that every ingredient at Viviane is as fresh and as pure as can be. He even has a “juice guy” from whom he sources the season’s best fresh pressed juices. His elegant twist on classics such as the Hawaiian Punch and Cosmopolitan sing out of the glass — where you can taste the purity, thoughtfulness and in-house made cordials and bitters in every sip. Wainwright is part of a growing “bar consciousness.” He’s keenly aware of the farming and trade practices for every brand of spirits he selects for Viviane to support fair trade values.
With delicious craft cocktails made with organic spirits, the toast salute (to your health), takes on an entirely new meaning.
Fall Hard for these Organic Spirits
From seed to glass, for an “elevated cocktail experience” try Prairie Organic Spirits that serves up 100% certified organic vodka, cucumber-flavored organic vodka and organic gin.
The Prairie
created by Dustin Parres
2 oz Prairie Organic Vodka
2 oz White Cranberry Juice
2 oz Club Soda
¼ oz Mint Liqueur
3-5 Cranberry and mint infused Ice Cubes
Lemon Twist for Garnish
In a pint glass with regular ice, combine Prairie Organic Vodka, white cranberry juice, and mint liqueur. Shake and strain into pint glass of cranberry and mint ice cubes. Top with club soda. Garnish with a lemon twist. For the ice cubes, simply place one cranberry and shredded mint leaves in an ice tray fill with water, and let freeze completely.
2. LEAF Vodka
Award-winning LEAF Vodka is all about the water, which gives the vodka its signature taste. Try either the Alaskan Glacial Water with a hint of sweetness. Or mineral water from the Rockies that creates a more complex and savory flavor.
One of Oprah’s Favorite Things, Square One Organic Vodka founder Allison Evanow asked herself, “Why not put the ethos of the farmers market into a glass?” Which inspired her to create a luxury sprit while leaving a light footprint on the earth. With natural flavors such as Cucumber, Bergamot, and Botanical, Square One Organic Vodka might become one of your favorite things as well.
A Pear of Roses
1 1/2 oz. Square One Botanical
1/2 oz. Meyer lemon juice
3 inches of organic rosemary leaves
1 oz. organic pear juice
1/2 oz. lavender syrup (or simple syrup)
small rosemary sprig and Meyer lemon wheel for garnish
Strip 3 inches of rosemary leaves into a mixing glass and muddle lightly. Add the remaining ingredients and fill with ice. Shake well and double strain straight up into a cocktail glass. Garnish with rosemary sprig and lemon. Option: Strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice and tope with soda.
4. Montanya Rum
Karen Hoskin, the president and co-founder of Montanya Distillers in Crested Butte, Colo., distills award-winning rum from light to dark and makes her own cocktail bitters sustainability–all using wind power, too, mind you. Named Craft Distillery of the Year by the American Distilling Institute in 2013, Montanya Distillers is committed to sourcing locally, avoiding plastics in packaging, and using a solar wall in its barrel room.
Get Mixing
5. Owl’s Brew
Owl’s Brew, a tea crafted specifically for cocktails are brewed using organic tea bases, whole spices and fruit and lightly sweetened with organic agave.
Hootenanny
2 parts The Classic (Fresh-brewed English Breakfast Tea with lemon, lime and lemon peel)
1 part Whiskey
Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake and strain over fresh ice. Garnish with a lemon peel.
6. Strongwater Spirits & Botanicals
Behold the botanical renaissance and this small-batch spirits company aims to lead the way with artisanal bitters and shrubs packed with health benefits the likes of libido, longevity, immunity, and digestion. Founded by a husband and wife team, Strongwater is committed to producing innovative and naturally made bitters from bark, roots, herbs, and shrubs.
Hailing from Charleston, this husband and wife team wanted to take the hard work out of making a great cocktail. Just add booze is their motto. Made with real ingredients like organic lime and lemon juices, charred grapefruit peel, cinchona bark, bulls bay sea salt–people, not machines, make the brew and bottle it.
Become a Mixmaster at Home
8. “Shake: A New Perspective On Cocktails “
Written by Eric Prum and Josh Williams, this book gives you tips, tricks and tactics to mix cocktails at home. Taking a straightforward approach, you can woo and wow guests with your bartender flair with delicious but simple craft cocktail recipes. Add organic spirits and your guests will come back for more.
Infuse your own gin! You can customize the label and keep it for yourself or gift it to a special someone. As you get to know your tastes more – explore further with different infusions.
With all the heartbreaking scandals in the alcohol trade, it’s refreshing to know there are companies dedicated to producing quality organic spirits while making a difference. Now, you can consciously enjoy a delicious craft cocktail. And, of course, whilst toasting salute – drink responsibly.
Related on Organic Authority
5 Fabulously Refreshing Spring Cocktails
6 Sexy Beer and Wine Hybrid Cocktails
4 Bourbon Cocktails Made with Fresh, Whole Fruit and Herbs
Cocktails image via Shutterstock
