There are many opportunities for overindulgence during the holidays. While making new year’s resolutions to make healthier and better choices for yourself, it is easy to become swept away in moments of celebrating and drinking traditional cocktails. Why not toast the New Year with a tasty marijuana mocktail this year?
Here are two other ways you can celebrate. This first recipe is for a sweet and tangy cannabis-infused herb that’s good, healthy, and tasty. The original purpose of “drinking vinegars” was to calm the stomach in the days before refrigeration. They are now used as an ingredient for craft cocktails, adding flavor and the health benefits that come with fermentation. Second, there is a drink which uses pomegranate as a beautiful and tart winter seasonal fruit.
Mocktails made from marijuana are a great way to get high and celebrate without having the bad feelings that come with drinking too much. Plus, no hangover! Only deep, blissful sleep. It’s a great time to live!
The saying is: “Everything in moderation.” For a more mild version or if you are planning to consume a large amount, reduce the cannabis by half for 12 1/2 mg THC. You should drink slowly, and wait at least 1 hour after the first one before you consume another. Also, consider what else you have eaten and how many drinks that particular day. These mocktails are delicious and healthy. Cheers to 2024.
Cranberry Rosemary Cannabis Shrub
This recipe was inspired by Becky Streipe’s sweet orange rosemary bush. This recipe makes approximately three cups of liquid.
- The equivalent of 2 grams (15%) THC cannabis flower is 300 mg.
- Each serving of 6 1/2 cups (4oz) equals 25 mg THC
- Yield: 4 1/2 cups (6 1/2 oz).
Ingredients
- Cannabis flower cured to 15% THC or more.
- White cranberry Juice 1 Cup
- One cup of sugar
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp liquid sunflower lecithin
- Fresh rosemary sprigs (plus extra for garnish).
- Sparkling water chilled
- Use orange peel as a garnish
- If available, use fresh cannabis leaves as garnish.
Instructions
It’s a good idea to prepare the meal a few days in advance so that you can let the vinegar scent fade out before guests arrive. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for two months.
1. Spread evenly the ground cannabis on a baking tray. Decarboxylate cannabis for 1 hour in 240° Fahrenheit (to turn the THCA to active THC).
2. Combine the sugar, 2 rosemary sprigs, and apple cider vinegar in a small pan over medium-high heat.
3. Stir for 10 minutes and bring to a boil.
4. Mix thoroughly the cannabis decarboxylated.
5. Mix well. Add 1 tbsp of liquid sunflower lecithin.
6. Allow to cool down until room temperature.
7. Pour the liquid through a coffee or cheesecloth filter, and then funnel it into an airtight glass container.
To serve
1. Pour half a cup of infused vinegar in each glass.
2. Stir in sparkling water.
3. Garnish with the leaf of cannabis, a rosemary sprig, an orange slice, or both. Add a leaf to make it easy for guests to see which drinks are cannabis-infused.
The Seasonal Mocktail of Pomegranate Marijuana
The total THC content of 4 grams is 400mg if the cannabis flower has a THC level around 10%. Each oz will contain 16-17% of THC, as the recipe is 3 cups or 24 oz. The mocktail recipe calls for three ounces of simple syrup. Each drink contains 50mg THC, and is designed for heavy users who have no plans that evening. If you are a heavy cannabis consumer and want a drink containing 16-17% of THC, then I suggest using 1 oz. of the infused sugar syrup.
Because of how the drink is constructed, you can adjust the amount of sparkling or still water that goes into the mix to meet your taste preferences/dose strength for each mocktail.
Ingredients
- 3 oz cannabis simple syrup
- The sparkling water can be replaced with either regular sparkling or club soda.
- Pomegranate seeds
- The use of cannabis leaf as a garnish
Instructions
The fresh leaves will make the drinks easy to distinguish.
1. Pour sparkling water in a tall glass.
2. Stir well after adding the simple syrup.
3. Add more sparkling water and garnish with pomegranate leaves or seeds.