Go green when you go out

Photo credit: Urbanite

Organic beers flow at Counter. (Kristy May)

By Emily Gordon

“Green” isn’t losing its buzzword status any time soon, so in honor of Earth Day on April 22, we’ve narrowed down the city’s best eco-friendly nightlife spots. From serving organic drinks to using recycled materials, these spots allow patrons to enjoy an evening out while helping out the environment.

Greenhouse

150 Varick St., btwn Vandam and Spring sts., 212-807-7000

Bi-level club Greenhouse is so eco-conscious, it even incorporates green living into its bathroom design. How? With waterless urinals and low-flow toilets, which reduce water use by 30 percent. Hence, the 6,000-square-foot space was award L.E.E.D. registration by the United States Green Buildings Council for its environmentally conscious construction and design. Aesthetically, bamboo covers the walls and natural scenes can be seen through the clear glass bar. The venue was built from recycled and recyclable materials.

GustOrganics Restaurant & Bar

519 Sixth Ave., at 14th St., 212-242-5800

Support GustOrganics’ mission of “changing the world one meal at a time.” The venue bills itself as the country’s first USDA Certified Organic Bar, meaning it serves drinks that are free from chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, artificial flavors and enhancers. Other eco-friendly points of note include Gusto’s use of wind and solar power. The light is 70 percent solar during the day, and only LED bulbs, which have a much smaller impact on the environment, are used later in the day.Counter

105 First Ave., btwn Sixth and Seventh sts., 212-982-5870

Counter is an organic wine and martini bar — and a vegetarian bistro. All martinis are made with super-premium Rain vodka, made from 100 percent organic white corn. Counter also offer a large variety of organic beers, including Butte Creek Organic Pale ($8), Peak Organic Amber Ale ($6) and Samuel Smith Organic Ale ($10).

Barcade

388 Union Ave., btwn Ainslie and Powers sts., Williamsburg, 718-302-6464

Barcade’s old-school arcade games and ‘80s nostalgia make it especially fun to go green. The Williamsburg bar runs it on 100 percent wind power, which emits zero greenhouse gases and uses no fuel.

The Ginger Man

11 E. 36th St., btwn Fifth and Madison aves., 212-532-3740

The Ginger Man has a large selection of beers, with more than 70 taps and 160 bottles. Organic choices include Etienne Dupont Organic Cidre ($8) on draft and Peak Organic Amber Ale ($6) and Pinkus Organic Hefe-Weizen ($7.50) in bottles.

Village Pourhouse

64 Third Ave., at 11th St.; 982 Amsterdam Ave., btwn 108th and 109th sts.; 212-979-2337

Village Pourhouse is a pub with a conscience. Both outposts of the bar only use certified green cleaning supplies and recycled paper products, and launder staffers’ uniforms in-house to reduce emissions. Pourhouse also serves several organic beers: Peak Organic Amber Ale ($6), Peak Organic Nut Brown ($6), Peak Organic Pale Ale ($6), Samuel Smith Nut Brown ($7) and Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout ($7). Head to either location from 5 to 7 p.m. on Earth Day for two-for-one organic beers and vodka drinks.

Oulu

170 N. 4th St., btwn Bedford and Driggs aves., Williamsburg, 718-233-1340

Oulu, named for the town in Finland, has biodegradable ceramic tile on the walls, water-based grout sealer in the bathrooms, a garage door to provide natural ventilation and sheetrock walls made of recycled material and post-consumer recycled paper.

Appellation Wine and Spirits

156 Tenth Ave., btwn 19th and 20th sts., 212-741-9474

Mix your own organic drink tonight. This west Chelsea liquor store sells a large selection of organic wines, which don’t use synthetic herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers, as well as biodynamic wines.

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Delicious
• Digg
• Stumble Upon