THC + Alcohol

We are all eating healthier and reading the labels on our boxed food. Some of us are swapping juice for water and reconsidering the medicines that we swallow every day but there is a community of people out there who are also changing up the ingredients in their alcoholic beverages. Yes, you can now experience marijuana cocktails. This can be done in a number of ways, ranging from drinks with only CBD additives to full on THC concoctions.

To begin let’s discuss why you would want to swap your go-to spirit for something of the greener variety. Cannabidiol, also known by its abbreviation CBD, has many health benefits and is one of the two cannabinoid stimulants found in weed. One of the most celebrated benefits of the oil is its analgesic (pain relieving) effects. It's thought that CBD interacts with receptors in the brain and immune system to reduce inflammation and alleviate pain. The essence of the pot tincture used in the cocktails is called CBD, the lesser-known of the two most prevalent cannabinoids in weed. Unlike THC, CBD doesn't get you high but has the medicinal effects of being anti-anxiety, anti-seizure and antipsychotic — even inducing wakefulness. The CBD in this particular oil is extracted from hemp stalk, not cannabis flowers, allowing it to be sold at a health food store instead of at the dispensary.

Sour T-iesel ($20)—Available at Gracias Madre in West Hollywood and Gratitude in Newport Beach

Gracias Madre, a high-end celebrity favorite that serves vegan Mexican food, now offers three elegant beverages infused with CBD but here we will feature one of our favorites.

The aptly named Sour T-iesel is a variation on the Tequila Sour cocktail complete with not only CBD oil, but the vegan egg white substitute known as aquafaba. They're blended with the other ingredients—tequila blanco, agave nectar, lime juice, mint leaves, sage, and a pinch of salt—with a handheld emulsifier before being strained into a coupe glass. The drink is topped off with a matcha green tea leaf stencil garnish for a refreshing, earthy nose on every sip.

Another way that you can enjoy some marijuana in one of your favorite cocktails is by infusing your liquor yourself. This method requires a touch of patience, but you will be pleasantly surprised when your mystery concoction is complete. To create you Canna-Booze you will need some glass containers, mason jars work perfectly, and you spirit of choice. I created mine with Sparkle Donkey Tequila from the great company Black Rock Spirits in Seattle, Washington.

For this method get an ounce of your favorite herb but try to consider what spirit your using when deciding on sativa or indica. Because tequila is a natural upper I chose a sativa as it is also a bit more elevating that an indicia. Here is the delicious cocktail I created with my personalized tequila. The longer the alcohol sits the stronger it will become so keep that in mind when creating your canna-booze and be mindful when making your drink because you could very well need LESS than what I used in my cocktail as I let mine sit for a week and a half. When it is complete strain off your flower and store the alcohol in a cool dry place.

• 2 ounces Canna-Booze
• ¾ ounce lime juice
• ¾ ounce elderflower liquor
• 2 fresh lime wedges

Shake ingredients with ice and then strain into your favorite glass and garnish with limes.

You may find that infusing your liquor will significantly cut back the amount of drinks you have in one evening, please remember that less is more and that you may only need to drink one of these lovely libations.

A final way that you can spice up your cocktails is to create a tincture or a scrub. Take the same concept from above and reduce that into a much smaller scale. A tincture is a medicine made by dissolving a drug in alcohol and this is essentially what we created above with the tequila, but it would be much stronger, and you would only need a small amount. Below I have provided several awesome recipes from Warren Bobrow that will fit perfectly into anyone home bar.

If you need more recommendations, check out Cocktail Whisperer for more recipes.

I hope you enjoy everything that I have provided you with today. Grab yourself some pot, make a drink, sit back, and relax.

CHEERS,

Audrey O