Ethical summer soft drinks

 [This story first appeared in the Oct-Nov 2014 issue of Green Ideas magazine.]

The world’s addiction to sugar worries lots of health-conscious types, yet there’s another side to the white stuff that’s equally concerning. As a high-volume food crop (like soy and palm oil) sugar – grown from sugarcane, usually in tropical climates – requires vast areas of land, which has often been hacked out of the jungle. As agriculture companies buy up land to meet the demand for sugar in the developed world, it’s often local indigenous people and subsistence farmers that suffer. Refining sugar can also be an intensely polluting activity. And, perversely, the demand for climate-friendly bio-fuels made from sugarcane is adding pressure to the situation.

In short, there are good reasons beyond health to look at your sugar intake – especially when it comes to summery soft drinks. Thankfully however, a new breed of businesses – often small and local – are proving that fantastic drinks can be more ethical, better for the environment, and even better for you.

We sampled a few alternative tipples you might like to try this summer.

Aroha Elderflower & Green Currant

$4.50 in supermarkets, stores and cafés
www.arohadrinks.co.nz

Sugar: 7%
Certifications: None

The guys behind Aroha gather the elderflowers for their distinctive drinks from wild bushes in the South Island and harvest ‘green currant’ juice from a weird naturally green blackcurrant strain they found and have cultivated. Made with only natural ingredients.

Taste test: Wow! A tiny bit tart, yet quite sweet and with an elusive, almost nostalgic aroma – this is something really special. We also tried the Sparkling Elderflower – which was delicious and very refreshing – and the slightly odd Sparkling Rhubarb. Will definitely buy again.

All Good White Grapefruit Sparkling Water

$4.50 in supermarkets, stores and cafés
www.allgoodorganics.co.nz

Sugar: 9%
Certifications: Bio Gro organic, and their Karma Cola is certified Fairtrade

All Good are the gold standard in ethical production. This year they were named the World’s Fairest Trader by Fairtrade International, who chose them above 27,000 other Fairtrade certified products from 150 countries. Everything here is organic – right down to the cane sugar.

Taste test: Super refreshing and sweeter than expected, the grapefruit taste was subtle and certainly not sour. We also tried All Good’s Karma Cola, which gave regular coke a run for its money.

Da’Maha Organic Pure Coconut Water

$4.50 in supermarkets, stores and cafés
www.da-maha.com

Sugar: 4%
Certifications: Certified organic by the reputable USDA programme, and fair by FairTSA

A fully NZ-owned company, Da’Maha is the only certified-organic and Fairtrade coconut water brand in Australasia. They source their coconut water from the Philippines and refreshingly, that’s the only ingredient on the label. The steel cans are BPA free and fully recyclable.

Taste test: Not everyone’s keen on the almost savoury taste of coconut water, but if you are, this is a good ‘un. Full flavour, with a fresh taste.

Chantal Natural Organic Apple & Pear Juice

$9.00 for 2L at organic stores around NZ
www.chantalwholesalers.co.nz

Sugar: 16%
Certifications: None

An independent, family-owned company in the Hawke's Bay specialising in local organic produce, these guys have lived their ethos of working with nature since the 1970s.

Taste test: An incredible real-pear taste that will make you weep for the fruit of your childhood years. One to sip rather than scull, this would be amazing over ice on a summer’s day. Lots of cloudy sediment and bits of fruit just as you’d expect from this 100 per cent pressed juice.

Hakanoa Hand-made Lime & Chilli Ginger Beer

$4.50 from Farro Fresh and some cafés and stores
www.hakanoa-handmade.co.nz

Sugar: 5%
Certifications: None at present

Another small Kiwi company, Hakanoa use organic and Fairtrade sugar. Their drinks are the old-fashioned real deal – fermented with yeast and fresh ingredients rather than just flavoured sugar-water.

Taste test: Dry, yeasty and spicy, the mixture of gingery warmth with just a little chilli heat makes this a great summer refresher. Not the sort of drink you’d have a lot of, but delicious all the same. The regular non-chilli ginger beer is less intense.

Teza Feijoa & Limeblossom Iced Tea

$4 from some supermarkets, stores and cafés
www.tezadrinks.com

Sugar: 8%
Certifications: The tea leaves are certified organic in China and India to EU and USDA standards

Brewed in NZ from organic tea leaves and flavoured with juices, these drinks use only natural ingredients – plus the makers upcycle all their old tea leaves into compost.

Taste test: Blows those regular iced-tea brands out of the water with a real fruit flavour that’s mild enough to still be thirst quenching. A wide variety of flavours in the range, so some will be an acquired taste.

Aloe Bio-Organic Drink for life!

$3.50 from specialty stores and cafés
www.bestbeverage.co.nz

Sugar: 6%

Certifications: Certified organic by Ecocert SA

The parent company works with women’s farming co-ops in Thailand, where their aloe is grown, and plants trees to offset emissions. The packaging gets a tiny black mark from us for its annoying throw-away plastic seal.

Taste test: Probably the most refreshing of all the drinks we tried. The flavour is very mild, with a slightly fake hint of lemon, and there are lots of juicy aloe pieces to crunch as you go.

Phoenix Lemonade

$4 from stores, cafés and supermarkets
www.phoenixorganics.co.nz

Sugar: 9%
Certifications: certified organic by BioGro NZ

A full spectrum ethical company, Phoenix looks at everything, from recycling rainwater to using sustainable power. Their latest range is a collaboration with ocean clean-up good-guys Sustainable Coastlines and Tangaroa Blue.

Taste test: This is lemonade like you’d buy from a roadside stand – minus the floating pips, and with a bit of sparkle. Their ginger beer is similarly good, though a little sweet, while their cola is a credible coke alternative.