Organic vodka, now with less guilt

Worried about pesticides in the food chain? Concerned about your carbon footprint? Just pondering the planet's fate is enough to drive some of us to drink.

Fortunately, that's one activity we don't have to feel so guilty about any more. The latest cocktail craze? Ethical booze.

It started with Rain organic vodka, which landed in B.C. stores two years ago, and Juniper Green Organic London Dry Gin from England, available in British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta.

Next week, about 90 LCBO stores in Ontario will roll out a pair of virtuous vodkas, Square One Organic and 360, both from the United States. The latter, while not organic, is made in high-efficiency stills and packaged in recycled-glass bottles with a "post-consumer, waste-paper" label.

They join another unusual product, Utkins Fairtrade Premium Single Estate Rum, made from sugar cane grown by 800 small-farm holders guaranteed a fair market price for their produce.

Nova Scotia is also embracing the high-minded-hooch movement. Instead of getting wasted away, enlightened Jimmy Buffett fans can bartend their way to a better planet with margaritas based on 4 Copas organic tequila (also available in Alberta). It's all enough to give new meaning to the familiar liquor-ad caveat, "Please drink responsibly."