Have a Greener Happy Hour

Toast Earth Day with a drink that doesn’t drain the planet of its resources. These organic wines, beers, and liquors give you the same buzz as their conventional counterparts—with a smaller carbon footprint:

Om Mixology Cocktails

Photo: Om Organic Mixology

These bottled cocktails clock in at less than 150 calories a serving—and they’re USDA-certified organic. Translation: All you’re consuming when you drink one is organic vodka, natural flavors, and agave nectar. Take your pick from four varieties: coconut water lychee, meyer lemon spicy ginger, wild cranberry blood orange, and dark chocolate Himalayan sea salt. Even the packaging is designed to be sustainable: The bottles are made of lightweight glass to minimize waste, and the labels are printed at a carbon-neutral wind-powered factory. It gets better, too: Om plants a tree for every bottle you buy.
$ 34.99 for 750 ml; omcocktails.com

Casa Noble Tequila

Photo: Casa Noble Tequila

It’s not a party without tequila—but distilling the liquor usually produces a toxic liquid called vinaza. Casa Nobel distillers neutralize and compost vinaza, then use that compost to fertilize their agave fields. The result? A USDA-certified organic tequila that you can feel good about drinking—assuming you don’t drink too much of it.
Starting at $ 49 for 750 ml; casanoble.com

Square One Vodka

Photo: Square One Organic Spirits

This USDA-certified organic rye vodka is made in a distillery that’s partially powered by wind. The flavors are all natural: There’s unflavored, basil, cucumber, and botanical (a 90-proof vodka infused with organic essence of pear, rose, chamomile, lemon verbena, lavender, rosemary, coriander, and citrus peel). The label on the pretty bottle is also green—it’s made from sustainably grown bamboo, bagasse, and cotton.
$ 35 for 750 ml; squareoneorganicspirits.com

Benziger Wine

Photo: Benziger Family Winery

Interestingly, most wines are organic, says Women’s Health food and nutrition editor Jill Waldbieser, but many manufacturers are reluctant to admit it because the first organic wines tasted terrible. Benziger wines go a step further, though. The brand’s Sonoma, California-based vineyards are biodynamically farmed, which means they use insects instead of pesticides, compost instead of fertilizer, and other practices designed to help the land take care of itself. Their sustainable practices are certified Demter, which is the highest level of organic.
Starting at $ 12.99 for 750 ml; benziger.com

CalNaturale Wine

Photo: CalNaturale

Not only are these wines made with organic grapes, but they’re also packaged in eco-friendly Tetra-Pak cartons, which have half the carbon footprint of most bottled wines. Bonus: Because they’re lighter than glass-bottled wines and have resealable plastic caps, CalNaturale wines are easy to toss into a picnic basket or backpack for your next outdoor adventure.
Starting at $ 6.99 for 500 ml; calnaturale.com

Bison Brewing Beer

Photo: Bison Brewing

Bison Brewery is certified organic by the USDA and the California Certified Organic Farmers agency, which means all of their barley and hops are grown without chemical fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides. Brewing beer that’s completely free of synthetic and genetically modified ingredients helps reduce the company’s reliance on chemical products derived from petroleum and results in an all-around healthier product. Oh, and the bottles are made from recycled glass.
Starting at $ 10.99 for a four-pack; bisonbrew.com

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

More from WH:
The Best Light Beers
The Best Boxed Wines
What’s The Best Wine With…?

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