Green Drinks Archive
Thursday, April 12, 2012
adjacent to and part of
the Annapolis Marriott Waterfront Hotel
80 Compromise Street, Annapolis
Cleaning Up Our Waterways: Above, In and Under Water!
We are going to present you with info on clean-ups of our waterways on a local and national scale -- from the surface to below. We will be featuring the Rozalia Project, whose goal is to clean up the ocean floor using yellow, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to clasp old cans, discarded traps and other debris.The crew operates the ROVs using sophisticated imaging systems that allow them to target and remove trash in a non-invasive way.
Our hosts, Pusser's, will serve complimentary appetizers and local beers at the cash bar. They invite us to have a look at their fixed-price entrees and stay for dinner. Read about the Marriott's sustainable practices on its Maryland Green Travel page. Remember, you don't have to drink alcoholic beverages to enjoy Green Drinks.
Our event will be in private room just to the left of Pusser's main entrance. We are sure to overflow on to the deck so hope for good weather. Since the space will be tight, any literature you bring about your events or projects will go on the shelves on the sides of the room. We'll have our bulletin board, of course.
Rozalia wants to remove every single bit of waste from the ocean through direct action, and to show people what it looks like to see the impact of ocean litter!
Read this story that details why trash in the oceans is everyone's problem. The bottom line: NOAA says there are an astounding 13 thousand pieces of litter per square kilometer in the world's oceans.
SpinSheet [read Spinsheet's log about Rozalia], the BOAT US Foundation and the National Sailing Center and Hall of Fame are the organizations responsible for bringing Rozalia to our area and they will be on hand with more info on taking care of our waterways.
That covers the underwater part -- what we can't see. What about debris on the surface? It's a real problem too. The Ocean Conservancy recently released a report from the International Coastal Cleanup that shows what kind of trash was found at beach cleanups around the world last year. It's not a pretty sight. Read more and see the chart below -- it's the same crud we find all over the Bay! Not only is it unsightly, animals swallow this stuff in many cases leading to slow, agonizing death.
That's why our many stream cleanups are so important -- the cleaner our streams and rivers, the cleaner our oceans. Our calendar of events has a host of upcoming opportunities to lend a hand.
Treating our waterways well also includes how you clean and operate your boat. We have resources to help you do a good job in that arena too: Resources for Clean, Green Boating.
We'll have info about other aspects of keeping our waterways clean including supporting Clean Marinas, how to care for your boat in an environmentally friendly way, and more from the Boat US Foundation. If you have info to share about waterway cleanups or other related info please bring it.
So, like everything else, improving the health of the planet begins close to home. We'll have information on what we all can do on an international, national, and local level to improve our planet. You'll be inspired!
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Wednesday, March 21, 2012
743 West Central Avenue Davidsonville
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Join us in the Garden at Homestead
Learn all about Earth friendly gardening and community clean-ups from watershed groups
It's Getting Green Outside!
In this great green month of March, we are thrilled to return for our third annual March event at Homestead Gardens. Homestead will be in the midst of its Spring Open House, an event that includes beautiful flowers and many classes on topics as diverse as No-Mow Lawns, Growing Potatoes in a Bag, Fruit Trees in Maryland and more.
Why not be very green and bring your own wine glass? And don't forget your name badge if you have one. |
As always, we can use a few committed volunteers to help us meet and greet. If you want to be very popular and talk to everybody who comes in, please send us an email and volunteer to be a Green Drinks greeter, bartender or ticket-seller. We can't put these events on without volunteers! |
Green Drinks will have plenty of great info. From the Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay -- about the upcoming Project Clean Stream -- there will be plenty of information to ponder. We want you to learn how to garden in an Earth friendly way and to learn about volunteer opportunities for community-wide environmental projects. We will hear from representatives of the City's GreenScape program who will give us information about the City's efforts to obtain a National Wildlife Federation Community Wildlife Habitat Certificate. A representative from Historic London Town and Gardens will be on hand too with information about their series of spring garden workshops. Also exhibiting will be the South River Federation and the Patuxent Riverkeeper®. The Marylanders Plant Trees program will have discount coupons you can use to buy a tree. And Veteran Compost will show us how restaurant food waste is composted and turned into a wonderful soil amendment. This could get YOU into composting too!
And of course, Homestead staff will be there to answer questions too. The store will be open for business during our event. Things at Homestead have changed a lot since Green Drinks was last there. The late Don Riddle's son Brian is now at the helm, they've re-branded with a new logo, the store has been reorganized, the café has been jazzed up and is now on a little deck of its own under an arbor with a great patio dining feeling to it, and a second store has been opened in Severna Park. The beautiful "in-bloom" atmosphere remains. It will be a lovely event.
Special for Green Drinkers: Homestead will generously give us coupons for 20% off most items in the store!
We'll be joined by and spoiled once again with complimentary, sustainable hors d'oeuvres generously provided by Honey's Harvest Market & Deli (Herrington Harbour South) and Killarney House! Kilarney is just down the road from Homestead and it's a GREAT place for a good Green meal after our event!
Honey's Harvest South features fresh, healthy, and delicious breakfast and lunch sandwiches featuring Boar's Head's brand new All Natural deli meats, salads, soups, bakery items, beer, wine, spirits and a variety of groceries. In addition to basic every-day groceries, Honey's Harvest features locally sourced products from honey to select seasonal produce, dairy, Gluten Free items and artisan gifts, open 7 days a week. For hours and to chec kout our upcoming events see www.honeysharvest.com.
New Belgium's organic Fat Tire Beer will be featured, thanks to our friends at Katcef Brothers. We might just have a special guest from New Belgium to tell us all about Fat Tire and what makes it organic!
Mills Fine Wine and Spirits will conduct a wine tasting and will offer wine for sale at the cash bar. The wines are all either entirely organic or sustainable. Reds: Domaine Sanglier Vin de Pays, Rhone, France; Di Majo Norante Sangiovese, Tuscany; Finca Los Alijares Graciano, Spain. Whites: Wente Riesling, Livermore California; and Michel Torino Torrontes, Argentina.
Yes, it is getting green outside! Let's greet spring with a renewed commitment to living responsibly in our watershed. Our next gathering will come quickly -- April 12th. Stay tuned for an exciting program with the Rozalia Project!
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Wednesday, February 15, 2012
100 Westgate Circle
Join us at our "Green Preview" of Annapolis Restaurant Week!
February 20 - 26 is Annapolis Restaurant Week when we celebrate our great local restaurants that have terrific fixed price lunch and dinner (and some breakfasts) offerings to entice us to eat out. Our Green Drinks host is the Annapolis Grill, a relatively new player in the local restaurant scene.
There are 41 restaurants participating in Annapolis Restaurant Week. Of those, nine are City of Annapolis Certified Environmental Stewards. We encourage you to patronize them... and let them know that you're there because of their commitment to sustainability.
Our host, the Annapolis Grill has committed to begin the process of environmental stewardship certification with the City. Steps taken already:
- They sell their used cooking grease to Valley Proteins for recycling.
- They have sensored bathrooms.
- They only provide bags upon request, and use only paper, not plastic bags.
- They recycle corks and paper (which is donated to schools).
- They save their wine bottles for Re-Corked Candles of Annapolis, a company that uses the bottle bottoms for their candles.
- Their salmon is wild caught and they serve fish caught in the Atlantic.
- They open their shades for natural lighting, thereby saving electricity.
The Annapolis Grill will offer Green Drinkers their Restaurant Week menu as a dinner special on February 15! That menu will be posted on the Restaurant Week website soon.
Green Restaurants
The following restaurants that are part of Annapolis Restaurant Week are also certified sustainable stewards. Those in blue are past Green Drinks hosts.
- Azure Restaurant (in the Westin Hotel) – 100 Westgate Circle
- Executive Chef James Barret uses honey in his recipes from two hives he keeps on the second floor roof.
- Azure purchases much of their meat and eggs from Ivy Neck Farms, a local and organic farm in Harwood
- www.azureannapolis.com
- BREEZE – 126 West Street
- Donates leftover food to soup kitchens
- Prioritizes seafood using sustainable fishing practices from Atlantic waters
- Environmental Policy
- www.loewshotels.com/en/Hotels/Annapolis-Hotel/Dining/Overview.aspx
- Café Normandie – 185 Main Street
- Trucks all their recyclables to the county’s recycling facility
- Composts their own food scraps and makes their own biodiesel
- They filter their own water and don't use bottled water
- Down to one small bag of trash daily due to intensive recycling
- Environmental Policy
- www.restaurant.com/microsite.asp?rid=74647
- Galway Bay – 63 Maryland Avenue
- Works closely with distributor to find sources of fresh, local meat and produce
- Trains staff on items included in their allergen-free and gluten-free menu choices
- www.galway2006.com
- Sam’s on the Waterfront - 2020 Chesapeake Harbour Drive East
- Much of their produce comes directly from local Maryland Farmers and other regional sustainable farmers
- Offers organic wine options to patrons
- www.samsonthewaterfront.com
- The Metropolitan Kitchen & Lounge - 169 West Street
- The Metropolitan specializes in farm-to-table dining, sourcing their ingredients from local farms and purveyors. They incorporate sustainable, earth-friendly, grass-fed meats, and healthy food into their philosophy.
- Most of the items on their menu contain local ingredients, and much of their beer, wine, and liquor are domestically sourced
- www.metropolitanannapolis.com
- The Rockfish – 400 Sixth Street
- Purchases clean energy to offset carbon emissions
- Built an organic herb and vegetable garden on the restaurant’s roof
- www.rockfishmd.com
- Vin 909 - 909 Bay Ridge Avenue
- The kitchen in this Eastport wine café uses their own organic herbs and vegetables grown in the back garden behind the patio.
- Executive Chef Justin Moore makes his own mozzarella, and over half of his menu items feature local ingredients.
- www.vin909.com
- The Wild Orchid Cafe - 200 Westgate Circle
- The menu features items with fresh, hearty, and local ingredients.
- Serves regional favorites, steaks, game and fresh seafood.
- www.thewildorchidcafe.com
On April 13, 2009, the City of Annapolis announced the first five restaurants to be named Annapolis Certified Environmental Stewards under its Sustainable Annapolis program. The program has since grown to 16 restaurants and is continuing.
At Green Drinks
Our partners/exhibitors for this Green Drinks include Annapolis Restaurant Week, the MainStreets Annapolis Partnership (MAP) that has additional incentives to promote during Restaurant Week, and the City of Annapolis with info on the Sustainable Annapolis Environmental Stewardship Program. Donate to MAP at Green Drinks and you'll be awarded a beer mug or coffee mug. Also joining us is the Buy Fresh Buy Local program that promotes healthy local eating at home and out and Maryland Green Travel, a voluntary, self-certification program that recognizes tourism businesses committed to improving their operations in order to reduce their environmental impact. The program helps businesses evaluate their procedures, set goals and take specific actions towards environmental sustainability.
Increasingly travelers are making their travel decisions based on sustainable practices that reduce our carbon footprint. Maryland Green Travel promotes those businesses that undergo self-certification. Businesses that are part of the program will be given Maryland Green Travel identification on the official state tourism site, visitMaryland.org, which receives nearly two million unique visitors a year.
About Buy Fresh Buy Local — Educating consumer and promoting local sustainable farmers, watermen and
food businesses.
The Chesapeake chapter began in 2006 with a group of dedicated individuals with backgrounds in farming, restaurant, and food policy. Since 2010 the chapter has been coordinated by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF); providing organizational and staff support. BFBL-Chesapeake is part of Food Routes Network, a national non-profit organization providing technical support to community groups strengthening regional local food systems. Our mission is to increase the availability and access to food that is sustainably produced by local farmers or harvested by local watermen of the
Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Beyond Restaurant Week: Plates & Perks
Two More Reasons to Eat and Shop Downtown
As an added incentive for patrons to return to Annapolis when Restaurant Week is over, the MainStreets Annapolis Partnership (MAP) and the City of Annapolis are teaming up to provide two incentives to Restaurant Week patrons to return in March.
1. If you dine at a participating restaurant during Restaurant Week, you'll receive a parking coupon that is redeemable for one full day of parking at either Park Place or the Knighton Garage, valid for the entire month of March.
2. If you dine at a participating restaurant during Restaurant Week, you'll receive a Plates and Perks card that will give you access to special offers from stores, attractions, and restaurants.
Provided by the MainStreets Partnership, the cards encourage shoppers to visit their favorite stores to take advantage of special March offers. Participating merchants will display the card in their windows. The list of participating merchants in Plates & Perks will be listed in the MainStreets Partnership website soon.
Below are Certified City of Annapolis Certified Environmental Stewards that are not participating in Annapolis Restaurant Week:
- A Cook’s Café - 911 Commerce Road
- Serves only locally grown and sustainable produce and meats.
- A Cook’s Café is a gourmet take-out, eat-in, and catering restaurant. It is also the home of the Chesapeake School of Cooking.
- www.acookscafe.com
- b.b. Bistro – 112A Annapolis Street
- Purchases local eggs from a farm on the Eastern Shore that takes the bistro’s kitchen scraps to feed the chickens
- Produces only one can of trash per week
- www.bbbistroannapolis.com
- Bruster’s Real Ice Cream – 1409 Forest Drive
- Uses new, energy efficient appliances and lighting
- Uses a closed loop ice cream production cooling system to minimize water use
- Environmental Policy
- www.brustersannapolis.com
- Davis’ Pub – 400 Chester Avenue
- A neighborhood pub “Where there are no strangers, just friends you haven’t met yet.”
- Significantly reduced their electricity use, and altered their kitchen practices to reduce their impact.
- www.davispub.com
- Leeward Market – 601 Second Street
- Sells local and seasonal produce to consumers and uses local produce in menu items
- Recycles about two-thirds of total waste
- www.leewardmarket.com
- Level – a small plates lounge – 69 West Street
- A locally sourced small plates restaurant
- Cocktails feature fresh-squeezed juices and house-made tonics and sodas
- www.levelsmallplateslounge.com
- My Butcher & More – 1410 Forest Drive, Suite 9
- All the meats are free of hormones, antibiotics and animal by products. Pasture raised and finished on a all natural vegetarian diet.
- Only purchases meats from local, independently owned businesses and farms
- www.mybutcherandmore.com
Other restaurants that are not certified City Environmental Stewards but do engage in sustainability practices. |
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Tuesday, January 24, 2012
EVENT SPONSOR
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What an incredible evening! The 18th Annual Maryland Environmental Legislative Summit was nothing if not hopeful and optimistic for the passage of good environmental laws that will put us well on the way of improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay and our state's environment in general.
Several hundred environmentalists attended the summit sponsored by the Citizens Campaign for the Environment -- and many of them "continued the conversation" at Green Drinks. Some walked and some rode the all-electric eCruisers, headquartered and serving the Loews Annapolis.
Several legislators, including Speaker of the House Mike Busch, Senate President Mike Miller and Environmental Matters Committee Chair Maggie McIntosh spoke about upcoming legislation. Miller said that the environment is under attack but added, "In 2012 the business of the State of Maryland is going to be the environment."
Read Elvia's blog about the Summit
The summit concluded a bit early and many attendees headed over to the Loews Annapolis Hotel for Green Drinks. They were greeted by the jazz of the Rob Levit Trio. The Loews provided a generous buffet of locally sourced comfort food, perfect for the evening. We were hosted in the Powerhouse as the hotel is under going an exciting renovation. Our event was sponsored by the Chesapeake Legal Alliance.
We've been urging you to follow the work of General Assembly in its 90-day session that began last week. Attending the Summit was a great way to begin doing just that. We will post the legislative priorities documents presented by the environmental community on our website to make it easier to understand the issues and follow the action. Remain up to date by signing up for the League of Conservation Voters' email list. The LCV will send you a weekly email with a "Hot List" of info of the bills making their way through the General Assembly.
Stay informed. As Speaker Busch said, to pass needed environmental legislation, "We need your help. It has to be you contacting your legislators." It's up to us to bring about environmental improvements. Stay tuned!
Environmental Issues to Follow in the General Assembly
Read Capital environmental reporter Pam Wood's story, "Wind energy among environmental issues before General Assembly" for a summary of issues we all need to follow during this legislative session. They include:
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These organizations participated in the Summit:
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Thursday, December 8, 2011
Maryland Inn, Top of Main Street on Church Circle, Annapolis
We began our Midnight Madness with Green Drinks to get in the mood to Eat Local, Drink Local, and Shop Local!
EVENT SPONSOR
Thank you to Smart Home Services for sponsoring our event. Smart Home Services is a Baltimore-based performance contractor, specializing in energy audits, energy efficient home improvements and bringing sustainable knowledge to high-end custom building services in Maryland and DC. Visit their website at www.BaltimoreSmartHomes.com for more information or call 410 329-1103 and mention GREEN DRINKS to receive 10% off green interior home improvements.
A huge crowd began Midnight Madness with Green Drinks as one of our largest turnouts ever filled the first floor of the historic Maryland Inn! Once again, we picked "the first" Midnight Madness as the date for Green Drinks Annapolis, December 8. It only makes sense to add to the celebration downtown of all things local -- drinking, eating and shopping! More about Midnight Madness: Flyer
We were delighted to see people coming and going -- headed out to support our local businesses on one of the most enjoyable evenings of the holiday season. It was the perfect evening to put everyone in the holiday mood. Even the Three Wise Men, Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthasar, came for some holiday greening tips!
We send out a big thank you to Historic Inns of Annapolis, and in particular General Manager Mike Radike, Kim Rooney, Pam Aber and Trish Brewer. They did a superb job with the delicious appetizers, particularly the potato/sweet potato bar, and with the organic wines other drinks. We had signs posted about Historic Inns' Green practices. Read here. We are so happy to bring new customers to good Green venues. That's part of our mission -- promoting local, sustainable businesses.
We took over the first floor of the historic Maryland Inn -- lobby, ballroom -- complete with decorations and cozy fires in real fireplaces -- and had a blast. Our hosts offered organic wine, local beers, and delicious appetizers -- see below.
The Menu
Passed items: Coconut Chicken Skewars, Shrimp Wrapped in Bacon, Petit Roast Beef Sandwiches with Horseradish Sauce
Display Items: Spinach Dip with Bread Rounds, Market Style Cheese and Vegetable Display
Potato Bar: Mashed White and Sweet Potatoes with assorted mix-ins and toppings
Affiliated Organizations
Annapolis Downtown Partnership
Many of you said that this was your first time or "first time in a long time" at the Maryland Inn. They remain an Annapolis favorite for your overnight guests, groups, special events and ... dinners. Don't forget: Historic Inns gave us Green Drinkers a 10% discount for dinner at the Treaty of Paris last night but that is also being offered for Midnight Madness Two on December 15th! Just mention Green Drinks when you order.
After Green Drinks we went out and shopped and bar-hopped until midnight, enjoying the merchants' hospitality, listening to music and carolers on the street, and just enjoying our town. Midnight Madness includes Main Street, Inner West Street, and Maryland Avenue. 
Local musician Mike Ruocco entertained us (photo, right) with a great acoustic set. But he's a rocker too as the Singer/Songwriter for the bands Cinder Road and SR-71. Read about Mike at www.mikeruocco.com. It was a wonderful treat to have him join us! We also welcome his followers who joined us at Green Drinks. We hope we can have his entire rockin' band at a future Green Drinks.
Helping people get around were the eCruisers, a hip, clean green way to take in all of downtown and even rescue us with our packages. ECruisers is the transportation for Annapolis Urban Adventures' Homes for the Holidays excursion. Read more about their special offer to benefit Green Drinks.
Partnering with Landmarks Great Deals, we have put together an exciting program -- January Digital Discount Madness -- that includes your favorite stores and restaurants from Midnight Madness offering even better "deals" to have you return in the not-as-busy month of January! Encourage your friends to sign up too, so we can tap you in for more fun and savings (at your leisure) in the New Year! Read more.
The Annapolis Business Association's terrific Annapolis Christmas Ornaments were offered for sale at Green Drinks -- a great gift that benefits us all! Click to learn more and see a close-up of the ornament. It was created by local "ornament scribe" artist Sarah Schabow. Learn more about her. We also sold our Annapolis Green reusable bag -- perfect for carrying your Midnight Madness goodies. They are available online too -- just $8. Click here.
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No Green Drinks November 2011
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Thursday, October 20, 2011
Thank you to the Members and Staff of the iconic Fleet Reserve Club for hosting Green Drinks on October 20. We had an enthusiastic crowd, nibbling on sustainable, local "Hawaiian" chicken and crab dip. As we mentioned before, the Fleet has gone Green in a big way from their rain barrel out front to Greenware, to other good practices. Read more. 
Our friends from WasteStrategies were on hand to tell our crowd about the recycling efforts they have initiated with us. The numbers are just about in, and, if you average all of our festival greening events in the past few months, the recycling rate was over 50% and of the items put in the trash, some 70% could have been recycled! More proof that: 1.) People will do the right thing if given the opportunity, and 2.) More education needs to be done. That's our mission!
We were delighted to welcolme our special guests, members of the Chesapeake Regional Tech Council and its Green Markets Committee! We hope to partner on more events in the future.
We're always talking about all the connections made at Green Drinks. Here are a few more examples. Extreme Makeover Home Edition was recently completed on the Eastern Shore (We think the air date will be in December.). Builder Fusion Companies, met the solar panel company, Seven Seas; the coffee supplier for the volunteers, Chesapeake Bay Roasting; and the landscaper, Grow Landscape Design; at Green Drinks! And at Green Drinks last week, WasteStrategies' participation in the Maritime Republic's Tug of War on Nov. 5 was negotiated and secured over a handshake!
We announced at Green Drinks that our next event will not be in November, but instead on December 8. It will be at Historic Inns' Lord Calvert House. Start your Midnight Madness evening with us and get charged up to support our small businesses downtown. In other words: Eat Local! Drink Local! Shop Local!
Want to keep Annapolis charming and thriving? Then support our local businesses!
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Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Event Sponsor
We were delighted to have made our first Green Drinks visit to Quiet Waters Park, a verdant 340-acre jewel just outside of Annapolis in Anne Arundel County. | directions | Our theme was "Environmental Education Makes Good Green Neighbors." Our hosts were Michael Murdoch, park superintendent, and The Friends of Quiet Waters Park, a non-profit organization founded in 1990 whose sole mission is to provide volunteers to assist in the park activities and to raise monies to aid in the beautification and maintenance of the park.
Our event took place in the visitors' center, and it followed the groundbreaking for the Butterfly and Reading Garden Watershed Education Experience in the park, right off the North East Corner of the Water Fountains /Ice Skating Rink. It was dedicated to Garrett's Light, a fund established in memory of Garrett Wall Feldmann to illuminate the minds and spirits of children by creating a simple and long-lasting nature and education program in memory of Garrett to benefit our community. Garrett's Light is folding its efforts into those of The Friends of Quiet Waters to create a garden for families to enjoy quiet reading time together. The garden will enhance the peaceful and educational benefits of the established native plant garden, nature trails, and soon-to-be-built butterfly garden. Click here for more information.
Our event was sponsored by Clean Currents, our wind energy supplier. Clean Currents has initiated the The Green Neighborhood Challenge, a program for communities to get involved in clean energy, to do fund raising, and to help build an environmental movement. It's a way for your community, group, school, or faith organization to support clean, renewable energy. By joining together, communities can educate their members about choosing wind and solar power at home as well as encourage and inspire each other to live more sustainable lifestyles. Clean Currents can help your community with these efforts by providing resources, hosting educational events, and promoting your group or organization. Check it out!
The goal of the Green Neighborhood Challenge is to support the efforts of community groups that are actively "greening" their neighborhoods. Based upon each group's level of involvement, Clean Currents will donate money back to each group to go towards financing a "greening project" of their choice. You can be a Good Neighbor by making the switch to clean power. If you sign up and Mention Annapolis Green $25 will be donated back to us! Read more.
Sustainable Appetizers were provided by the concessionaire at the park, Pit Boys, who sold beer and wine, provided by our friends at Katcef. They served Landshark, Becks Oktoberfest and Bud Light and a number of very nice organic wines.
In keeping with our theme, we had a number of exhibitors who were on hand to tell us about the environmental education they conduct in our community. They included the following:
- Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center
- Annapolis Maritime Museum
- Oyster Recovery Program
- Chesapeake Bay Foundation
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
- Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy
In addition, Friends of Quiet Waters Park, Garrett's Light, and Save Your Annapolis Neck representatives brought material to educate us on their missions.
We invited most of the homeowners' associations on the Annapolis Neck to attend our event so there were lots of Green Drinks First-Timers, identified by the stickers on their name badges. Welcome!
We'd like to thank Superintendent Michael Murdoch for giving us two ice rink passes for our raffle!
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Tuesday, August 23, 2011
We enjoyed Green Drinks last week, on "earthquake day." Our theme was great, yummy, good-for-you, local food, just the specialty of the Metropolitan Kitchen and Lounge. They present a menu of farm-to-table cooking, striving to source ingredients from local farms and purveyors and incorporating sustainable, Earth friendly, grassfed and healthy into their philosophy. We thank owners Gavin Buckley and Jody Danek for their hospitality.
As you may have heard, the City of Annapolis recently announced its "Green Plate Special Program" through which the city encourages local eateries to source food locally | press release | A representative of the city's Environmental Programs was to have joined us to say a few words about their Green Plate Special Program, but they were all busy with post-earthquake duties. When we get more information about the program, we'll share it with you.
Annapolis Green has been advocating Buy Local/Eat Local for years with our Green Foodie Challenge. We encourage local sourcing and sustainable operations within the hospitality community and hold our events at venues that support that philosophy. Read more.
Highlights:
Rita Calvert attended with the book she co-authored with Michael Heller, The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook Fires It Up!The ultimate guide to grilling, smoking, and barbecuing pasture-raised meats from America's small farms. She sold and signed copies and graciously gave us one for our raffle! Thank you, Rita!
Sharon New of Local Food Beat was on hand to speak about good nutrition and the classes she offers, including on the thyroid/adrenal glands. She was generous enough to provide, for our raffle, a consult session --a $55 value--in which she will take the winner on a highly informative tour of the Annapolis Whole Foods store. She'll show the winner what she buys and why, what not to buy, how to read labels, a review of the supplement aisle, how to find grass-fed products (dairy and beef). Thank you, Sharon!
Our third raffle item was $25 in Market Money to be spent at The Fresh Farm Market in Annapolis - open Sundays at the Donner Lot, foot of Main Street, 8:30 a.m. to noon. Thank you to Tara and her colleagues for that!
Bo of Atami Day Spa on Maryland Avenue, which features organic, paraben-free, green & eco-friendly products, provided all with a 20% off card for spa services. Thank you!
Our "partner in clean-up," John Nicklin of WasteStrategies, joined us to give us a preview of our brand-new trash and recycling duo containers that will debut at several events coming up, including the Maryland Seafood Festival.
Several Green Drinkers stayed for dinner and reported that it was terrific. We encourage you to support our local, sustainable restaurants, like Metropolitan.
Did you see our First-Timer stickers? We hope you reached out to those who were new to Green Drinks!
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Tuesday, July 12, 2011
& 
at
Westfield Annapolis Mall
in conjunction with
Chesapeake Regional Tech Council
Did you see the marquis in front of Westfield Annapolis Mall? It featured Green Drinks and announced our event for everybody on Route 50 to see!
It's summertime, so why not have a backyard cookout?
We'll be "home-based" our backyard grill-away-from-home at Punk's Backyard Grill® as we enjoyed fresh, homemade appetizers and beverages. McCormick & Schmick's and the Westfield Annapolis Mall also joined in to host!
The restaurants reserved their side-by-side outdoor patios for us. The Mall allowed us to set up exhibits on the sidewalk in between.
We invited our friends at Chesapeake Regional Tech Council too, particularly since our theme was renewable energy.
We had long been wanting to patronize Punk's ... first becoming fans when they were in the Mall's Farmers' Market before getting their own location. McCormick & Schmick's are old friends of ours. We held an early Green Drinks at their location. Read about their green initiatives on our website. Both generous hosts provided appetizers and a cash bar.
Punk's Backyard Grill® was founded on one simple idea: to re-create the classic American backyard cookout-complete with savory homemade food and a friendly, neighborhood atmosphere for today's busy, health-conscious lifestyle. They use only the freshest, highest quality ingredients, and make most everything from scratch. What they don't make in-house they have made and delivered every day from local suppliers and farms. Read all about their food and their extensive craft beer, wine, sangria and specialty cocktail below.
About Punk's Backyard Grill
Let's be honest.
“At Punk's Backyard Grill, we believe that the best food starts with honest, quality ingredients.
That's why our freezer is small, and our staff is large.
From the aioli to the veggie burgers, we make most everything in house using only the freshest ingredients.”
The Food
Punk's is very proud of its fresh, high quality food. Have a look at the menu, the nutritional information, and the ingredients list. How many restaurants publish all that? Not many. And Punk's will cater your party, tailgate, backyard cookout, whatever. Read more.
Beverages
For you beer drinkers, you're in for a treat. Punk's carries over 25 bottled craft beers and several on draft. From their website:
"Prefer a lighter, less hoppy style? How about a Weihenstephaner®, Allagash® White, or Delirium Tremens®. Want something a little darker and more complex? How about a Bear Republic® Hop Rod Rye or Saranac® Black Forest." And that's just a sample. Want to see more?
Wine drinkers, Punk's carries a selection of wines that are available by the bottle or by the glass.
Other types of beverages? Punk's makes their small-batch sangria, margaritas and other specialty cocktails by hand, using no mixes at all because those are laden with corn syrup and preservatives.
Soft drinkers? At Punk's you won't find the run-of-the-mill. "With artificial flavors and high fructose corn syrup sweeteners—and a list of chemical additives almost as long as the can—these products wouldn't stand up very well to our fresh, honest food. Instead, we choose to serve Boylan’s® vintage all-natural sodas." You'll love the old-fashioned taste of cream soda, original birch beer, black cherry, cane cola and lemonade.
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