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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/776571
www.cheersonline.com 26 • January/February 2017 and give you as many options," Eisner explains. "The current strain I'm using is like fresh-cut weed grass: herbal, fl oral, like something freshly picked." Indeed, cannabis fl avors vary widely, says cocktail book author Warren Bobrow, who last June released Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails & Tonics: The Art of Spirited Drinks and Buzz-Worthy Libations. Growers cultivate the plant in thousands of different strains and continuously develop new ones. This opens a world of possibilities for cocktails. Commonly known strains include Maui Waui, the aforementioned OG Kush and Sour Diesel. "Imagine each strain as its own terroir," Bobrow says. "Some are spicy, sweet, piney or fruity." Bobrow recommends ingredient pairings based on cannabis strains. For instance, Sour Diesel mixes well with absinthe or aged rum. OG Kush is a mtach with most clear spirits, while Maui Waui can be muddled with grilled lemon. Beyond this rainbow of fl avors, strains contain different medicinal qualities. Sour Diesel relieves stress and anxiety, Bobrow explains, while Pineapple Kush is an effi cient sleep aid. The strain Thin Mint Cookie can remedy stomach ailments. Other strains work as physical pain relievers, libido enhancers and energy boosters. Bobrow's book also covers cannabis basics, including the important distinction between the two most common species of the plant. Cannabis sativa promotes an active mental high, compared with cannabis indica, which induces sleep. MIXING WITH THC There may come a time when recreational cannabis is federally legalized. But until then, serving cocktails with THC in bars or restaurants is illegal. And for those that privately experiment with marijuana-mixed Humboldt's Hemp Day As marijuana gains greater acceptance and becomes legal in more states, beverage alcohol producers will likely look to get into the cannabis game. Some craft distilleries have already launched cannabis-infl uenced products. Like bars and restaurants, distilleries cannot sell products that contain THC. But they can add in legal-grade hemp. Humboldt's Finest is hemp-infused vodka made in Humboldt County, California. That area is already well known for its marijuana industry, explains owner/head distiller Abe Stevens, so he felt compelled to produce something with "the local fl avor." Humboldt's Distillery sources legal hemp from southern Oregon. This lends the vodka a fresh, botanical, aromatic quality, Stevens says, which is a "unique new component for making cocktails." Humboldt's Finest is a hoppy, botanical alternative for the juniper taste of gin. The hemp-infused, 40-proof vodka launched in mid 2016 and sells in California and Colorado for $29.99 per 750-ml. bottle. "The response has been good," Stevens says, though it does require some education. Consumers need to understand that the vodka will not get them stoned, and it won't get them in trouble with the law.—KS The Benny Goodman Fizz, with cannabis-infused gin, rose simple syrup, seltzer and grapefruit bit- ters, from Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails & Tonics. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\