This article first appeared in the Ecologist on 8 May 2012.

Shaken or stirred, recreating the bar experience at home is becoming ever more popular as the economic downturn makes staying in the new going out. But staying in doesn’t necessarily mean green. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) estimates that the carbon footprint of alcohol consumed in the UK is 1.5 per cent of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions. The life cycle of the product adds to this and needs to be considered when making the green choice.

One of the easiest ways to go green is to go organic. Chris Parker is the owner of the Surrey-based Organic Spirits Company. ‘Normal fertilisers contain a mixture of natural phosphates, which are gradually running out,’ he says. ‘There’s also nitrates which, in terms of pollution, give off nitrous oxide which is 300 times as toxic as carbon dioxide.’ Dr Paul Taylor is a Carbon Trust advisor who specialises in food and drink. He agrees that farming practices are important. ‘If there’s an agricultural component they need to be careful of not using too many fertilisers,’ he says. Parker says that, after winning 36 international medals, the proof of the Organic Spirits Company’s product is in the drinking. ‘Independent judges who are blind tasting have been picking out our products against the world’s best,’ he says. Fans of organic cocktails say they taste smoother and fresher…

Read the full article here at the Ecologist.