Sapling Spirits (climate positive vodka and gin)
Vodka is a high-percentage spirit alcoholic drink that is usually made with wheat or potatoes. It’s name means ‘water’ but it’s not! Yet despite obviously not being safe near animals, in veterinary medicine, one of its components is used to treat anti-freeze poisoning in pets.
Rather than buy multi-national big brands, why not try some homegrown artisan brands? For a bloody Mary, pour over ice, add lemon, a pinch of salt, tomato juice and garnish with a celery stick (use vegan Worcestershire sauce, for a spicy version).
Sapling Spirits is made with British wheat and plants a tree for each bottle sold. You’ll find a unique code on each bottle tells you what tree was planted (and where). Try it in this apple and ginger spritz.
A recent study found that the average bottle of vodka uses 2.8kg of carbon before it reaches the customer. Made in London, this uses charcoal filtered water, to leave a hint of natural sweetness. So far, the company has planted over 300,000 trees (both in the UK and abroad), and saved over 300,000 bottles from landfill.
Avoid tonic water for some medical conditions (and pregnancy/nursing but hopefully you’re not drinking alcohol anyway). Check medication before consuming grapefruit or rhubarb. Keep citrus fruit garnishes away from pets.
Corks are too dense to compost, so send off in bulk to Recorked for recycling.
Before recycling cans, rinse then pop ring-pulls over holes. Then step on cans to ‘pinch’ inner rims together, to avoid wildlife getting trapped.
The range includes standard vodka, plus a raspberry hibiscus pink vodka, which makes use of wonky raspberries, that would otherwise have gone to landfill. Hibiscus should be avoided for pregnancy, but then hopefully are not drinking vodka anyway?
There’s also a regenerative vodka, made with eco-farmed wheat that is a tasty mix of toffee, cereal, earth and chocolate orange!
Bars and restaurant buying wholesale use refillable 5 litre eco boxes, which saves 7 bottles from ever being created. The bottles are also made from 40% recycled glass, and use natural corks.
Sapling Spirits has now launched a climate-positive gin, to go with its vodkas. A classic twist on a London Dry, this blends juniper with citrus zest and hints of rosemary. For every bottle sold, a tree is planted.
From fruit trees in London to hazelnut trees in Suffolk (the sleepy endangered dormice will be happy, that’s their favourite food before bedding down for winter!)
