'Umbra'

Regarding your comments on organic alcohol -- I liked your persistance in saying, "Use less."  That, in fact, as you well know is the key to our mission.

I was going to say re-use, and use less -- because one only rents beer but did not think that appropriate.

Respectfully

Don't forget organic beers too!  I'm partial to Wolaver's, but I think one of the big breweries (Anheuser-Busch?) recently came out with one too.

If you can't find organic gin (the Bluecoat Gin that you mentioned in your article is only available in a few states on the east coast) at least buy local gin. I have abstained from the imports. California gins, unlike the imports, tends to be lower octane- 80 proof, but it still makes me feel fine and a little greener knowing that it comes from nearby.

Not that I want to be nit-picky, but I will...Gin is made from grains and merely flavored with juniper.  Remove the juniper from gin and you have vodka!

I recently discovered that the global average amount of fresh potable water needed to make a beer is 5:1. That's 5 bottles of water for every bottle of beer.

Appalling.

The brewery manager told me that most of their effluent goes into the municipal water supply, as brewery effluent contains microorganisms that eat bacteria, so they end up only wasting about 0.8:1.

I suspect grain alcohols use less, but who knows. I keep it simple by just drinking my water neat and straight.