Getting Drunk the Green Way

Now here's a topic for the masses! Lately we've been trying to drink more "green" by trying to stick to a 100 mile liquid diet! :) We're lucky in BC to have some great and affordable wines and beers from our region. We also have Washington, Oregon and California relatively nearby as backup! You don't have to live here to find affordable local options though. They're all over the place! Here's a little help on drinking more eco friendly....

Wine:
When looking for eco friendly wines you can go one of two ways. Organic or local. Obviously be have a plethora of wineries here in BC so I consider myself lucky. Much of the rest of Canada does not have the luxury except maybe for the Niagara Region in Ontario and a few other little spots. Another way that people are going these days is bottling wine themselves. I don't know a ton about it because I've never done it but I know you can usually choose from a few different varietals and this seems like a very economic way to buy wine. I would still ask where their supply comes from and shop around if you live in a city with several options.

Organic and fair trade wines are starting to pop up all over the place as well. They are really growing in popularity. Unfortunately I haven't tried any but if you have then I'd love to hear about some good ones. For the most part I've just been buying locally with maybe 1 out of every 10 bottles coming from outside of BC. Thanks to our amazing BC government our liquor prices are the highest in the country. (Booooo!!!!) It is getting increasingly harder and harder to find a good bottle under $15. :(

Here are a few of my favourite BC wines that are found at BC Liquor stores (If you go to the Okanagan do not come home empty handed! There are many other great wines out there that BC Liquor does not carry!):

See Ya Later Rance - Riesling $16.99

Tinhorn Creek Merlot - $17.99
Prospect Winery Pinot Blanc - $12.99


Beer:
We have some great microbreweries/craft brewers in Vancouver and throughout the Sea to Sky. It's been awhile since I have drank a beer that doesn't originate from the lower mainland. You don't have to live here to get local beer. There are small to medium sized breweries all across Canada. Many of them sell offsales at the brewery or even have them in provincial liquor stores. Here's a few from around here...

Whistler Brewery: http://whistlerbeer.com/index.php/brewery  If you scroll down there is a list of offsale brews available (closest liquor store for you Cheakamus residents!) and I believe the lager is available in Whistler liquor stores.

Howe Sound Brewing: http://www.howesound.com/brewery/beers.aspx  We have been drinking a lot of this lately.   The big bottles are great for Friday night dinner or bringing along to a friend's house in my opinion. The perfect amount of beer in a very nice, stylish and completely reusable bottle. They take them for returns at Howe Sound or the bottle depot. They are available for offsales and at the liquor stores but more selection is available at the brewery itself.

Granville Island Brewing: http://www.gib.ca/local-flavours.php  I drink this a bit less but I do enjoy the Winter Ale very much. It is a pretty popular beer and is available in most of the liquor stores around. Granville Island is also a much more popular beer on tap in the Sea to Sky.

There are definitely more beers in our region. Just go to a liquor store near you and pick up a few beers. It will always say on the package where it was produced and it's always nice to support local companies. If you've tried some other local beer and/or wines that you really like let me know!