Go green at the same time you're going bar-hopping; you'll feel better the next morning
By Deirdre Fulton

Why drink organic booze? Aside from fewer pesticides meaning healthier farms and healthier humans, there might be a more practical reason: fewer, or less-aggressive, hangovers. As someone who suffers from mean mornings-after, this is great news.

Some medical experts say that methanol—a toxin, and a byproduct of alcohol fermentation—makes for more intense hangovers because it breaks down in our bodies as (toxic) formic acid. There are small amounts of methanol in all alcoholic drinks, but you’ll find fewer in organic spirits. So, those higher-quality ingredients aren’t just saving the planet—they’re also saving your liver.

By far the most abundant organic alcohol is vodka. Two popular options are available: 360 and Rain. Vodka 360, which markets itself as “eco-luxury” vodka, is especially environmentally conscientious—its packaging is all green, right down to the bottle-closing clasp that can be returned to 360 (in the pre-paid envelope!) for re-use. Other organic vodkas are Square One and Sunshine, which is made in Vermont and available at www.dandm.com. And while their ingredients aren’t purely organic, top-notch Cold River Vodka—available almost everywhere—gets sustainability points for its regionally grown ingredients, including potatoes from Green Thumb Farms in southwestern Maine.