I had a few friends over for Halloween, my favorite holiday, and we partied with the following: Flying Fish Extra Pale Ale, Reyka Vodka, VeeV Acai Liquor, Garden Fresh Gourmet’s Jack’s Special Salsa, and Honey Chipotle Pretzel Dip.
I purchased a keg of Flying Fish EPA from The Rutherford Wine Shoppe. Extra Pale Ale is not only an awesome, mildly fruity pale ale, but its local to boot. Flying Fish, from Cherry Hill, New Jersey does uses organic ingredients grown locally. The BYOG(lass) party was already off to a good start. I didn’t allow anyone to use disposable glasses, but rather I provided glass pint glasses for those who forgot their own.
Flying Fish does participate in green practices. Gene Muller from Flying Fish told me
We recycle close to a million pounds of grain annually with local dairy farmers, plus recycle all glass, metal, plastic, paper and wood. Still trying to figure out a use for shrink wrap. Plus we have a lot of water saving and chemical saving measures in place. Plus we save energy by keeping the thermostat at 60.
We also sell all our beer within a 100 mile radius, so we hope to reduce our carbon footprint that way.
There was organic tofu grilled with Grandpa Eddie’s Jamaican Jerk Sauce. We also had chips and Garden Fresh Gourmet’s Jack’s Special Salsa. This mild salsa was chunky and sweet. It tasted as fresh as if Fred’s mother made it, but not as good, obviously.
There were Newman’s Own Organic Pretzels and Robert Rothschild’s Honey Chipotle Pretzel Dip. I think the dip is super spicy, but others disagree. It is sweet and gooey allowing for full coverage of pretzels. I definitely recommend this dip.
Reyka Vodka was once again a hit, Megan drank most of it!! VeeV, a new liquor made with Acai, Acerola, Prickly Pear, ginseng and more is part of the craft liquors that seem to be emerging in the industry. This antioxidant-rich cocktail was well received.
VeeV provided me with a few recipes to try out with their product, so I gave it a shot. I mixed some Club Soda with VeeV over ice for a clean, refreshing sweet drink. Perfect for the summer! VeeV is made with fruits that are known for being tart but VeeV is not. It’s actually very clean tasting, similar to a top shelf vodka.
VeeV is not made with organic ingredients, but they are aware of the environment and the local communities where the acai berries are harvested. This is why VeeV donates a portion of each bottle sold to green initiatives such as the Rainforest Action Network. VeeV is also a member of organizations such as BSR, SVN, Co-op America, EMA and more. [links to these organization?]
VeeV can be purchased online or at select retailers mostly on the west coast, but that is expanding. VeeV’s interactive website is full of important information such as events, ingredients and a VIP page for the elitists out there. Check that out here.
Overall, my first attempt at a green Halloween party was a success. The food was enjoyed, New Jersey’s Flying Fish Extra Pale Ale was loved (local) and the green cocktails were sipped up as well.
More parties like this to come, hope to see you there. In the meantime, check out VeeV, Reyka, Newman’s Own Organics and Flying Fish Brewery.
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