Wow! It’s been a while since I posted anything. We have this thing at work called Holiday Deadlines where we push a ton of work into just a couple weeks, so I had a few really long days and worked quite a few weekends, and then once the actual holidays hit there were a lot of really long car rides and just a ton of stuff going on fairly constantly.
But I haven’t forgotten about my blog, and coming 2015 I’m going to be MUCH more active, for personal reasons and because it’s part of my New Year’s Resolutions.
So, in light of the holidays, today I want to talk about…..alcohol! Beer! Wine! Spirits! Woohoo!
As always, this is for informational purposes only, and please drink responsibly and don’t drink and drive.
We all know alcohol is a social lubricant, helps people to unwind after long days, and can pair nicely with a great meal. But there are certain things to look out for when imbibing. Let’s start with beer.
1. Beer
Beer is old. The oldest brewery in the world is Weihenstephan, which opened in 1040 AD. For a while people drank mostly beer, because of how contaminated water supply was (I learned that in my college history class!). Nowadays, you can pop into the gas station anywhere and pick up an affordable 6, 12, or 24 pack of one of the more modern beers, but the way I see it, if you’re going to spend your money on something like that, shell out a few more bucks and try something craft, organic, and filled with “full” calories instead of “empty” calories.
It can be hard to find organic beer, so I’ll talk about my favorite organic and non organic products. My favorite organic beer is the Mothership Wit from New Belgium Brewery. Not all their beers are organic, but the Mothership Wit is perfect for me. It’s lighter, crisp, and has notes of citrus. New Belgium has a great variety for every taste. Check out their website here.
My other favorite brewery is Mother Earth. Located in my home state of North Carolina, Mother Earth doesn’t state that they are organic, but they take great care to be incredibly earth friendly! Read about their friendly approach here on their website. I love Mother Earth’s Weeping Willow Wit and Endless River (Can you tell I like lighter beers? Don’t worry – Both New Belgium and Mother Earth have darker and hoppy-er beers too). You can generally find these in more “local” bars instead of chains.
The reward you get for trying these types of beers instead of something like Bud Light or Miller or Michelob is intense flavor, local support, and more appreciation for what you’re drinking. Also, have you noticed how craft beers don’t generally advertise so heavily? It’s because they put their money where it counts – into their product.
2. Wine
I have a confession to make. I’m a wine snob. I didn’t used to be, back in my college drinking days, I’d buy the $3 Cutler Creek and call it a night with my roommate.
Then I met my boyfriend Justin. The last thing I thought my mountain man would be is a wine-o, but guess what? He opened my eyes to the beauty and depth that is wine. I’m going to talk mainly about red wine, because I rarely drink white.
What to look for with wine: Try to find organic and sulfite free wine. Sulfites, which can appear naturally in wine, are also added to extend shelf life. However, they are carcinogenic. Look for “NSA” (No Sulfites Added) or “No Sulfites Detected” on bottles of wine. My favorite organic No Sulfites Detected wine is Our Daily Red. It has wonderful flavor, notes of berry, and isn’t too rough, which some organic wines can be. Skinny Bitch authors Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin mention Frey Vinyards. I have not tried this wine yet, though I intend to. Please let me know if you have, and tell me how it is in the comments!
Organic wine with no sulfites added or detected is great for your heart and has important antioxidants. This doesn’t mean you can get ripped on it and think you’re being healthy. A glass with dinner is just enough.
Now, if you can’t find organic wine with NSA or Detected, because it can be difficult, “regular” red wine in moderation is okay. My favorite regular wines are Cupcake Cabernet, any kind of pomegranate wine (It’s sweeter but it’s delicious, pomegranate is my favorite fruit), Hob Nob, and Amarone (Expensive, but worth it. It’s called the “Meditation Wine”. We shared a wonderful bottle with my parents and it was like drinking a dream as we talked about memories past).
3. Spirits.
Here’s another confession: I don’t drink spirits often at all. It’s fairly rare. And I’m sure I’ve never had any organic liquor at all, ever. But I would really like to try some! I found this list of organic liquor, and I’m hoping to find some soon. Have you tried organic liquor? Please let me know and tell me how any of them are!
But, I do like mixing whiskey with organic Blue Sky ginger ale with a little lemon juice on top. It’s spicy and wonderful. PS, I don’t drink soda unless it’s mixed with something, so, rarely on that too.
I hope tonight is fun for everyone – full of happiness and smiles! Please, if you do drink tonight, BE SAFE! Don’t drive, have a DD or money aside for a taxi even if you’re not “drunk”.
May 2015 be amazing for everyone! Take the New Year by the reins and kick some ass!
Links:
http://www.newbelgium.com/Home.aspx
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