When attending parties this summer you may be faced with having to choose a gift to bring the host or hostess but don’t despair.  This does not have to be a daunting task, as there is no better way to impress and ingratiate yourself with the urban environmentalist (or wannabe), than with an unique eco friendly gift.

A hot item when it comes to a host/hostess gift, is a new twist on an old standard, alcohol. Alcohol is now green and it goes way beyond the Planet Forward reusable bag you put it in. Many of your friends and colleagues may appreciate these eco friendly gifts, as going green is the in thing to do. So, what is available and why is it so special? There is a wide variety of alcohol that is eco-friendly, but here are a few of the highlights. Who knew something as social as a quality beverage could be positive in other ways?

First, Prince Charles’ line Duchy Originals offers many earth friendly ideas that serve as unique eco friendly gifts. A must have gift for the urban environmentalist is the Traditional Ale. According to the website it is “brewed in Oxfordshire using malted barley, hops, yeast and water to produce a traditional flavor. The barley, harvested from selected organic farms in Britain including the Home Farm at Highgrove is an old variety called Plummage Archer.”  The commitment to organic farming is not the only way that Duchy Originals shows its corporate social responsibility, as it also donates its profits to the Prince’s Charities Foundation which supports a variety of charities. Other unique eco friendly gifts from Duchy Originals are Organic English Sparkling Wine, and Select Ale that “offers a higher strength (6.2% vs 5% abv) and fuller bodied beer than [the] Traditional Ale.” It should be noted that Duchie Originals also offer a host of non-alcoholic drinks and other earth friendly ideas when it comes to   anything from food to garden seeds. Duchie Originals Alcohol is widely available in North America, and the added charity element will win you points with any hosts whether or not they are an urban environmentalist.

Another earth friendly idea for gift giving is Juniper Green Organic London Dry Gin, which is the world’s first organic London Dry Gin. Juniper Green Organic London Dry Gin’s “ingredients are organic juniper, coriander, angelica and savory and it is 100% gluten free”, its corporate social responsibility is highlighted because many people now suffer from gluten sensitivity. Another, of these great earth friendly ideas is Prairie Organic Vodka. This is a great gift to bring to a cocktail party, so one need not feel guilty when sipping their martini. What makes Prairie Organic Vodka different is that they use “certified organic #2 yellow corn.” In order to be USDA certified organic “the growing process cannot use genetically modified seeds, artificial fertilizers, hormones, weed controllers or pesticides.”  Prairie demonstrates its corporate social responsibility by following USDA organic guidelines, thus ensuring that the product is of high quality and the growing of ingredients does not necessarily harm the environment.

By choosing these products one is saying that the environmental and social responsibility mandates of a corporation matters. Thus, you can use your purchasing power, by simply switching brands to make a green statement. By shopping our values, your gift giving may also have a positive impact on the recipents future purchasing. You never know.  Kind of adds a whole other dimension to drink responsibly, doesn’t it?  Oh but still do it the original way as well.