Why not raise a glass to celebrate the fabulous options of organic vodkas available these days?
Even if you’ve tried to go organic or GMO-free in all of the food that you consume, having a mixed drink while hanging out with friends or crafting cocktails at home could be that one final missing piece of making a change to support sustainable companies that care about the Earth.
Vodka is made from starch-based ingredients. Often times, those ingredients are grains – whether corn, wheat, rye, or other types of starches. Grains are often some of the foods that are most commonly grown with GMOs, though, including wheat and corn.
The common belief is that because vodka is an alcohol, that the alcoholic nature of the drink somehow “burns off” the bad stuff or it is filtered out during the distillation process.
The core ingredients of an alcoholic drink are exactly what gives it its flavor and characteristics, though. For example, red wine is celebrated for its health benefits because of the antioxidants found in the grapes. They are not “burned off” or filtered out. The antioxidants are still a viable part of the wine, even after processing. Why would vodkas or other alcoholic drinks be any different when considering the tiny cellular components of the main ingredient and how they can impact your health?
Beyond the debatable health benefits or risks of ingredients used in vodkas, though, are the plain-to-see ways that companies can either hurt the Earth or protect it. We’ve found a list of organic vodka companies that practice sustainable production methods and create a delicious organic vodka at the same time.
Next time you’re perusing the spirits aisle or requesting a cocktail at a bar, keep these brands in mind:
- Prairie Vodka Made with a single vintage organic corn grown on multi-generational family-owned prairie land in Minnesota, Prairie Vodka creates old-fashioned prairie fires to naturally control unwanted weeds and turns leftover corncobs into bio-fuel.
- OCEAN Organic Vodka The only vodka in the world crafted from organic sugar cane and blended with deep ocean mineral water, this Hawaiian specialty comes from an 80-acre farm and distillery in Maui which uses solar panels to power the distillery and offers visitors a chance to explore their Martini Garden.
- American Harvest Grown on a family owned organic wheat farm in Idaho, the grains are then mixed with water from underneath the Snake River plain. The distillery is partially operated by wind power, with unused materials being utilized as cattle feed.
- CapRock Colorado Organic Vodka Just one of several types of alcohols distilled at the 70-acre Jack Rabbit Hill Farm, this organic vodka is made from biodynamic grapes in western Colorado’s North Folk Valley.
- Bainbridge Organic Distillers The first distillery in Washington State to produce certified organic spirits, Bainbridge produces all of their products, including vodka, whiskey and gin, from scratch in their own distillery. Located on Bainbridge Island, the company works with independent organic farmers in the region to source their “estate grains,” meaning that they’ve never been processed through a public grain handling facility where contamination may occur.
Don’t see your favorite on this list? Share your favorite organic vodka finds with our readers. Pour a drink and join the conversation by leaving a comment below!
Feature image courtesy of OCEAN Organic Vodka – Credit Jessica Pearl.