Best organic and Fairtrade booze
Did you ever consider that your drink might cause more pain than the one to your head when you've had too much? Did the farmers who produced the raw ingredients get both paid and treated well? And what about the environment? Did the grape, barley or sugar fields get drenched in pesticides? It's a lot to think about if you really just want to de-stress with a glass of wine, but luckily you can get pretty far by simply buying organic or Fairtrade alcohol.
And unless you're very particular about how old your rum is, what brand your beer is or what exact region your wine comes from, it is now quite easy to get merry on green or ethical booze.
Wine-drinkers are probably best catered for, with plenty of organic as well as Fairtrade options. For red wine fans, we can recommend Marks & Spencer's organic Botteghino Chianti or the Fairtrade-certified Equality Cabernet Sauvignon. If you're more of a white wine tippler, Waitrose's organic Italian wine is quite good.
With regards to beers, you can't be too particular if you want to be on the green wagon, but there are some very interesting ones to try. From Fairtrade banana beer to organic ale and carbon-neutral lager -- it's all out there. UK-made, organic beers are the way forward if you ask us. It won't have a massive carbon footprint with regards to transport, there'll be no nasty pesticides that can harm the environment or our health and the only thing that'll hurt anyone is the hangover.
Although it's unlikely you'll find any of these at your local off licence, there are a good few organic and/or Fairtrade spirits about now, too. If you have time to shop around online you can find anything from the Papagayo Fairtrade and Organic Golden Rum to Juniper Green Organic Dry London Gin and Utkins UK5 OrganicVodka. Sainsbury's also stocks a good certified organic and Fairtrade white rum that's perfect for daiquiris.
Bottoms up!
Adnams East Green Beer
Duchy Originals Organic Ale
Equality Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005
Juniper Green Organic London Dry Gin
Marks & Spencer Organic Botteghino Chianti
Mongozo Banana Beer
Papagayo Fairtrade and Organic Golden Rum
Sainsbury's Organic and Fairtrade White Rum
Utkins UK5 Organic Vodka
Waitrose Italian Organic Bianco Moncaro 2007 Marche
