“So I should drink more to save the planet?” We get this question a lot. It’s asked part in jest and part in skepticism by everyone from customers to reporters wondering how the words “organic” and “alcohol” ended up in the same sentence.

The reality is that it takes a lot of land to make a small amount of alcohol, so organic liquor helps keep productive farmland healthy and water that runs off farms (and into our drinking water) clean. It’s not just about personal health, but about the health of our land and water.  Certified organic spirits (not all “eco-friendly” liquor is organic) offer a simple way for anyone who drinks to make a positive impact on our environment.

Ready for the numbers? The ratio of alcohol to land is roughly one bottle to 23 square feet, meaning that it takes 23 square feet of farmland to grow enough wheat (or similar grain) to make one 750ml bottle of 80 proof vodka. (Each martini you sipped last night took nearly three square feet of farmland to produce!)

On a national scale, the figures get really eye catching. In 2008, the U.S. consumed more than 184 million cases or 2.2 billion bottles of distilled spirits. That took more than 1.1 million acres of farmland to produce, which is slightly smaller than the state of Delaware.

Farming this land conventionally consumes tons (and tons) of pesticides and fertilizers. According to the U.S.D.A. Economic Research Service, U.S. farmers spray 1.5 lbs of pesticides per acre of conventional farming to get rid of pests (organic farmers use insects, birds, mating disruption or traps instead). The same source states that conventional farming also uses up to 100 lbs of chemical fertilizer per acre to promote plant growth (organic farmers use manure and compost). Finally, all farming on average uses nearly 163,000 gal of water per acre to grow crops.

That’s 1.65 million lbs of pesticides and 110 million lbs of chemical fertilizer poured on 1.1 million acres of farmland a year― just for booze! Some of this stays on the farmland and the rest washes away with the 179 billion gal of water used to irrigate crops…which finds its way back into our watersheds and, eventually, into our drinking water.

Surprised? So were we! That’s why we make TRU, an all-organic spirits brand. And that’s how the words ”organic” and “alcohol” can make sense together.

Clearly, as a country, we like to drink. When we do, small choices, like drinking organic cocktails, can have a big impact on our environment. As a bonus, since many organic spirits are handcrafted by small, artisan makers, there’s a good chance they also taste better.

And that’s not hype―that’s just good, clean facts.