Hosting an Ethical Whiskey & Cigar Night

The world is not all doom and gloom. You can care about huge life altering causes, and still make time to enjoy all that is right and beautiful with the world. Sometimes when the state of the world feels hopeless and bleak, it’s best to retreat to the ones you love the most to let loose and recharge to continue the battle. And at VIRTU we’d like to propose a good old fashioned whiskey and cigar night with your pals. Card games optional, but highly suggested. No boys allowed, no girls allowed, or perhaps all are welcome. Whatever is going to put a smile on your face. ​

But you know us well, and of course we weren’t going to suggest something that is the antithesis of our love of ethical and sustainable. Here are our tips for hosting an ethical, sustainable and eco-friendly evening with your best friends.
​
Invitations. Obviously most invitations for casual events have gone by the wayside, but why not take a state-of-the-art sustainable spin on the old fashioned paper invitation? Send an ecard with the details of your event from the Nature Conservancy. You can choose free or paid, and along the way either spread awareness or monetarily support conserving the beauty that is our Mother Earth.

Crystal. Gone are the days that a bride receives a trousseau filled with family heirlooms to set up her new home. Heck, gone are the days that people marry before 30 even. You’re probably using plastic solo-cups that you throw out at the end of your evening, or maybe mismatched cups you’ve collected along the way from old roommates and big box stores. Why not use this evening as a chance to make an eco-friendly upgrade? Check out E-Bay or your local charity shop for vintage cut glass tumblers - reusing already existing materials is a great way to stay eco-friendly and not support big box stores that are the opposite of ethical. (PS - cut glass is almost identical to crystal, but will save you a bundle! And you won’t feel too bad when your friend Harry has one too many and drops his on the floor!) And while we’re on the subject of tabletop wear - invest in some real plates and cutlery. Mismatched gems from a charity shop are cooler than disposable any day of the week.

Whiskey. Ahh, the good stuff! Sustainability and organic farming practices have begun to spread to the world of spirits, and Koval in Chicago was definitely a pioneer of the movement. Using locally grown ingredients to make truly fine organic whiskeys and spirits, Koval takes pride in creating their whiskeys from scratch, rather than buy already made spirits and mixing them. They’ve won awards all around the world for their products, and we can personally attest to their quality and taste. Produced in Chicago, Koval is Certified Organic by Midwestern Organic Services Association (MOSA) and Certified Kosher through the Orthodox Union (OU). They’d make an excellent addition to any evening, but get bonus points for being so ethical!

Cigars. When it comes to cigars the first thing you probably think of probably isn’t “charitable foundation”, right? But that is exactly what two family owned cigar companies are trying to change. Both based in Florida with operations in the Dominican Republic, Arturo Fuente and JC Newman are avid supporters of the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation. Aimed at giving directly back to the communities that produce their cigars, the Foundation supports education and health related services for locals because they realize investing in their local communities is a long term win for everyone. Buy a box of each for your shindig and enjoy the feeling that your purchase did some good.

Any other ideas for making a fun night with friends more ethical? Easy and fun changes add up to a world of difference, help disrupt business as usual and despite your impending hangover you’ll feel pretty darn good about yourself.