If it hasn’t already arrived in your neck of the woods, summer's a comin'. And warmer weather means putting away that steaming hot tea and coffee (why add to the heat and stickiness?) and downing refreshing iced tea by the bucketful. Hey, it’s that good.

Plain iced tea is a timeless summertime favorite, but it’s always worth adding a bit of zing to a classic, right? Change up your favorite organic iced tea routine with this easy peach iced tea recipe. The addition of sweet peachy flavor to your go-to organic tea makes for a crisp, tangy thirst quencher that you’ll want to have in your hand all summer long.

Fresh-n-fruity, cool-n-juicy, wild-n-loosey. That just about sums up our brain’s assessment of what’s in store for us when we mix up a classic summertime drink, pour it into a frosty glass garnished with a festive neon colored paper umbrella and prepare to ride the wave of a spirited haze. Not that any justification needs to be made but after an often long week at work, nothing says fuggetaboutit quite like liquor, fruit, ice and even more liquor harmoniously whizzed together in a blender.

Last week, we brought you organic tequila. This week, it’s vodka’s turn. After scouring the streets, web and bar scene, we’ve discovered five highly acclaimed organic vodkas and paired each with a delicious summer cocktail recipe. Throw in some earth-friendly lighting alternatives and sustainable, summer dishes; these libations are sure to create the most popular eco-chic parties of the season.

Imagine a wine that has been handcrafted from seed to barrel and fermented with the infinite spirit of the Universe. It’s not a fictional elixir. It’s Aum Wine Cellars’ line of organic, biodynamic wines.

Aum takes its name from the ancient mystic Sanskrit syllable that signifies universal energy or life force known as prana. Fundamental to Aum is the experience through the senses of the connection between body, mind, spirit and nature. Founder and vintner Pete Hoffman understood this connection and saw wine-making as an opportunity to raise the frequencies of his vines and grapes, his customers and ultimately... the entire universe.

There’s a great deal of talk about sustainable beverages here at OA. Organic wine, beer and even vodka make frequent appearances on the site, commonly accompanied by a seasonal dish. But there’s one type of liquor that hasn’t been seen around here too often: Tequila.

Everything Cuban is muy caliente right now, and mojitos are no exception. This island cocktail has been around in some form since the 16^th century, when it was called “El Draque” in honor of the pirate Sir Francis Drake.

One theory regarding the name mojito is that it came from a Cuban seasoning with a citrus flavor known as mojo – so if you need to locate your mojo, a mojito just might help you find the way. Hemingway was a big fan, and you will be too.

Some wines just seem to be destined to be paired with specific foods: Cabernet and steak. Pinot Grigio and seafood. Beer and burgers (okay, that’s not wine, but you get the picture). Such is the case with Nobilo, a winery hailing from the tropical, fruit-speckled lands of New Zealand. Nobilo creates wines that seem to be made for vegetarian cuisine. So it’s only natural that they should host a dinner event focused exclusively on pairing wines with vegetarian entrees. I had the pleasure of attending their Meatless Mondays wine pairing dinner this week, and here are the lessons I learned for vegetarian wine pairing.

In case you haven’t noticed, the 20s are roaring back in a big way – perhaps to get us in the mood for the 2020s! Art deco, jazz, feathers and flapper fashion are shaking to the surface of style again, and you can wash it all down with these classic cocktails.

As the old Spanish saying goes: Good wine ruins the purse; bad wine ruins the stomach. And for vegans, it may actually spoil a good appetite. That's because some beer, wines and other alcohols can contain the unlikeliest ingredients gross enough to make some meat-eaters cringe too: Gelatin, raw eggs, fish bladders and dried blood powder. Seriously.

"What beverage?" You might ask.