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I love to have people over – small gatherings, large gatherings, whatever. I’m always looking for new ideas when it comes to serving food and drinks. But let’s face it: it’s hard to stick to organic products when it comes to serving drinks. Where would I even start shopping for organic alcholic beverages? What could I make?

Paul Abercrombie’s engaging, colorful book , “Organic, Shaken and Stirred” is a great way to learn about making organic cocktails, and not stuff you’d expect (organic rum and cola), but really interesting drinks (ever hear of a Saffron Margarita? I hadn’t!)

 He first takes you through all types of organic alcholic drinks and where to buy them (vodka, tequila, rum, wine, spirits, etc.) as well as mixers and the tools you’ll need (glassware, etc.) He then provides tons of cool recipes – stuff I’ve certainly never heard of, but would be proud to serve my friends at a party, like the aformentioned Saffron Margarita, Blackberry Mojito, Lavendar Lemon Drop, Elderflower Fizz, and the list could go on and on.

So, for the creative, organic and even flat out bored hosts/hostesses who’d like to try something new, check out “Organic, Shaken and Stirred” for a fun and useful read.

Okay, I’m not a big drinker, but I am a fan of do-it-yourself (DIY) stuff, things that are organic, and hostessing. As a follow-up to my “Green-up your bar” post, I found this recipe for creating your own organic “Tea cocktail,” which involves infusing vodka with tea.  This are a new spin on classic cocktails…I can’t wait to serve these to my friends next time I have people over.  And while I believe in eating as clean as possible, I also believe in moderation and having fun…you’ve gotta have a drink every now and again.

So, here’s what you’ll need to create organic tea cocktails:

• Organic vodka (Square One makes organic vodka. If you can’t find it or don’t feel like looking, just use a high-quality convential kind like Kettle One or Grey Goose).
• Organic limes
• 6 tea bags (the kind called for in the recipe below calls for “Moroccan Mint.” Stash makes an excellent Moroccan Mint tea, although it’s not organic. You might want to try Trader Joe’s as well – they have a ton of reasonably priced organic teas)

Infusing instructions:

1. Infuse an entire 750ml bottle of vodka with 6 teabags, by steeping the tea bags for 4 to 6 hours or overnight. You might want to pour the vodka into a jar or container that will allow you to easily remove the teabags after steeping. (If you want to use a lesser amount of vodka, pour 1/3 of the bottle of vodka into in a jar or with two teabags. )

2. Swirl the jar occasionally: You will see the infusion happening (If you want to use loose tea, the equivalent is one teaspoon of tea for each teabag).

Moroccan Mint-tea Cocktail

For a very light and refreshing cocktail, try this Cuban mojito style drink, using vodka instead of rum and Moroccan mint flavors instead of traditional mint.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces vodka infused with Moroccan Mint Tea
• 2 oz. Trader Joe’s Organic Limeade
• Juice of 1 lime
• ½ ounce organic agave nectar (just bought a 12 oz bottle at Trader Joe’s for only $2.99, it’s in the honey section)
• 3 mint leaves, minced
• Club soda

Directions

1. Infuse vodka with 6 teabags per instructions above.

2. Put all ingredients except club soda in a shaker with crushed ice.  Shake vigorously for 15 seconds. 

3. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Fill to top with club soda, stir and garnish with a mint sprig.

Enjoy your homemade tea cocktail!

There’s nothing like a nice Bloody Mary at brunch on a Sunday. The only thing that could top a plain Bloody Mary would be an organic one. I came across ECO BAR, a company that specializes in organic cocktails. One of their certified “ECOBARtenders” will bartend your house party, birthday celebration, and even your wedding! They’ll come bearing all organic ingredients for cocktails, as well as organic beer and wine.  

I give this cool start-up company a lot of credit for offering people an alternative, greener way to throw a party. I read about this idea that everything we purchase is like a ‘vote.’  If you buy organic, you’re voting for it, and in turn, increasing demand for it. I’d like to see organic cocktails at mainstream bars – and supporting companies at ECO BAR starts to make that happen.

Check out their website and drink greener: www.eco-bar.net