Food and Drink

Picking a morning caffeine pick-up’s gotten confusing, what with the proliferation of certifications: organic, fair trade, Rain Forest Alliance, Utz Kapeh — not to mention all the self-certification schemes companies like Starbucks are trying to sell. To help you cut through the clutter, here are five eco-ethical coffees you can feel good about drinking:

An efficient locavoristic cooking class at Cavallo Point.

4 Copas Tequila is said to be the world’s first organic tequila. The drink was certified by the international organization Bioagricert. The organic certification was announced at a gathering at the La Quemada distillery where 4 Copas is made, in Jalisco, Mexico. Named the Tequila of the Year 2006 by Wine & Spirits Magazine, the [...]

If you are going to brew beer at home, why not brew organic? You’ll have clean tasting, fresh beer without using ingredients that are not genetically modified, and not grown with pesticides. Organic brewmaking ingredients cost slightly more but the rewards are worth the expense (in our moderately humble opinion). On a more technical side, [...]

Syzmo is the first energy drink to be certified 100% organic. The drink contains no artificial colors and flavors, and contains no preservatives. It is sweetened with organic blue agave nectar. (We’ve featured agave nectar in a previous post.) The nectar is composed of 90% fructose sugars and 10% glucose sugars. Because fructose is 42% [...]

Amaranth is an ancient plant whose seeds can be ground or popped — they have a sweet, nutty flavor. The ancient Aztecs considered Amaranth a “super food”. It was an important part of the empire’s crop base, and was fed to runners and warriors because of its reputation for providing large bursts of energy and [...]