HPR

Drink and Be Charitable

By Nikki Berglund
Staff Writer

Do you ever find yourself feeling guilty for perhaps over-imbibing in a little too much hooch? Or maybe you fret about not being charitable enough to your fellow man (or woman). Perhaps you didn’t grow up Catholic, and therefore, this whole concept of guilt is completely lost on you and never even enters into your thought process. Regardless of your religious upbringing or your level of social responsibility, it might interest you to know that there are many liquor companies out there today that combine the enjoyment of an alcoholic beverage with contributing positively to society at the same time. Who would have thought?

The Middle Sister wines, which I wrote about in a previous article, definitely fit into this category of liquor companies that give back. Their charitable side focuses on the ladies, with the business pledging a minimum of $10,000 annually. The two charities of choice for this socially conscious company are Dress for Success and a group of girls who call their events Wine, Women, and Shoes.

Dress for Success provides tools for underprivileged women to successfully seek employment by providing them with the often pricey business suit along with educational tools to help them get the job. Wine, Women, and Shoes, a combination of philanthropy and a love for wine and shoes might sound a little silly but actually has raised almost $4 million for children’s and women’s causes! The Middle Sister wines are moderately priced, and the juice is good. You can find them in a Red or White blend, a Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Moscato, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir with a retail of around $10.99.

When I was first presented with a wine by the name of Jarhead Red, I was less than enthused. I let my sale rep do his spiel, and then I tasted this red blend and realized it was really tasty. With a base of Merlot blended with the French grapes—Mouvedre, Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault—this was the brainchild of Adam Firestone, an ex-Marine captain, and third generation winegrower from Firestone Family vineyards and his Marine buddy, Ruben Dominguez who became the vineyard foreman. The money for this wine goes toward the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation which “provides educational assistance to children of US Marines with special consideration given to families of fallen Marines.” Jarhead Red retails for around $13.99.

The Organic Wine Company has some really great examples of socially responsible wines in our market. This business is “committed to finding delicious, earth friendly wines for the socially conscious wine drinker, specializing in fair trade wine and organic wine.” A few of their brands available locally include Fairhills, Makulu, Oko and Releaf. The Fairhills wines for example, are “fair trade certified” and focus on the underdeveloped communities of Argentina, Chile and South Africa. From helping impoverished growers develop business skills while improving living and social conditions, also come some incredible wines from these regions. The Fairhills wines all can be found for about $7.99- $9.99.

Wine companies are not the only ones looking to make a difference; liquor companies are playing their part too. If you haven’t had a chance to try 360 Vodka, then you are definitely missing out. This environmentally responsible vodka touts itself as the “world’s first eco-friendly distilled spirit.” Everything about this company is aimed toward not harming, if not benefiting the environment. The bottle with its swing top cap and 85% recycled glass is cool enough that you may just want to keep it and reuse it.  If you do choose to recycle it though, you can remove the cap and send it in so they can reuse it AND donate $1 to Global Green USA. So far 50,000 have returned so you do the math on that one. This vodka has some unique flavors, including a cola and a double chocolate which, served on the rocks, is truly to die for! The mission statement for this company reads, “crafted from a philosophy for eco-awareness and corporate responsibility. This ideology is then manifested throughout our greened processes and greened products.” Pick these up for a reasonable $18 per bottle.

Representing for the beer companies is Finnegan’s Irish Amber, a medium-style beer, which describes itself as “a charitably delicious brew.” Made in Minneapolis by the Summit Brewery, Finnegan’s is a nonprofit beer company that donates 100 percent of its profits to giving back locally to causes that help eradicate hunger in the region. With their organization, the Finnegan’s Community Fund they are currently partnering with the Emergency Food Pantry in North Dakota, the Emergency Foodshelf Network in Minnesota, and Feed my People of Wisconsin. To date, more than $168,000 has been donated since it was started. Their goal is to “create sustainable change for those affected by the cycle of poverty through profits from Finnegan’s Irish Amber and other innovative products and events.” You can find this tasty brew in the specialty beer section of your local liquor store with a price tag of around $9 per six pack.

Interestingly enough, there are people who frown upon the combining of charity and drinking alcohol. One particular example has to do with liquor companies donating to breast cancer charities. Just glancing around the store there are currently a couple of different examples of this, with two in particular being Sutter Home Wines and Mike’s Hard Lemonade. Both companies started with a personal connection to someone with breast cancer which led to their desire to do something. The dilemma comes from the fact that alcohol has been known to increase the risks of breast cancer, leading some groups to strongly boycott this type of donating. I thought this was a very interesting debate which leads me to inquire…what do you all think?

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