The OG Kush FlowerPHOTO COURTESY: ALEXANDER RAUBER, JOSH D FARMS
I spoke on the phone with Josh Del Rosso, Founder and Managing Director of his namesake, Josh D Farms the other day and as UN-taped interviews: IE., cold call conversations go, it turned into a cheery, smile filled excursion into the world of ultra-high end cannabis and the stories that surround this lux-art form. Which is to say, as the time slipped by, and I found myself in a state of self induced euphoria, primarily because I was speaking to a legend in the field of cannabis! A humble man who exudes the passion and youthful exuberance that would be refreshing to say the very least. And as the time slipped away and the DF Tram music that I was listening to, way off in the background, began to deepen the overall experience of sharing ideas and thoughts, I realized that my place in the cannabis field is every bit as pertinent as most others. And that was good for now, because sharing thoughts with folks such as Josh would have been unheard of for me just a few short years ago. So please allow me to share with you, dear readers, a very kind man who is doing something truly unique in the business of medicating with flowers.
New–Jersey-based Warren Bobrow, known as the Cocktail Whisperer in the hospitality industry, is a mixologist, bartender, contributing writer for Forbes and author of, among other books, Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails & Tonics: The Art of Spirited Drinks and Buzz-Worthy Libations. On Dec. 19, Bobrow was on his first visit to Toronto to talk about what he’s most passionate about: infused cocktails and mocktails.
“Drinking is part of our culture. What I have chosen to do with my book, Cannabis Cocktails… is make infused drinks approachable—by mixing together ingredients in a way that’s cohesive and not overwhelming,” says the 57-year-old author of six books.
The book, launched in 2015, drew scathing criticism. “It was termed bad and dangerous, but things have changed now. As per my knowledge, this is the first book and the only book on the topic—on THC-infused cocktails,” Bobrow says. “I wrote this book so that people could enjoy infused cocktails without stigma. When you smoke a joint on the streets, everybody knows your business and has a preconceived notion, right or wrong, on what it is that you are doing.”
The hospitality session, organized by the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS) Ontario and Lifford Cannabis Solutions, tastefully coincided with the holiday season and the regulations on cannabis edibles and concentrates to be announced by Health Canada.
To help highlight cannabis’ place in the hospitality industry, Lifford in partnership with CAPS Ontario, has been hosting one such session monthly since legalization. “Whether it’s restaurants or infused beverages, we are interested to see how the edibles regulations will change with the regulations set to be announced. At Lifford, we are a wine and spirits company, we are interested in the potential of creating infused beverages,” says Lisa Campbell, CEO of Lifford Cannabis Solutions.
Apart from a talk by Bobrow, the session also had a cocktail and mocktail station. “Mocktails are the biggest trend of 2018. A lot of consumers are moving away from alcohol, and this session fits right into that dialogue,” says Campbell, explaining the demand for such a session.
Guests, on the other hand, ranged from people who had never tried infused cocktails to others who couldn’t wait to give them a shot. “In the past, I haven’t been interested in infused anything, but listening to him and how he’s been retaining terpene interaction… because in infusion, you often lose the aroma, with the decarb product, I surely want to try it, now,” says Chris Klugman, CEO and president of Paint Box Catering. “There’s has been a huge interest in the overall wine and cannabis combination,” Klugman reports.
Apart from reading some of the recipes from the book, his professional history and his family story, Bobrow also shared some tips to making good cocktails. “There are a ton of things people don’t know about cannabis and cocktails, but predominantly, that they should be decarbing their cannabis—they need to activate the THC. If you take raw cannabis and stick it inside a bottle of liquor… all you will get is a mouldy mass of gunk.”
More than fanning the interest and sharing trade secrets, the session also focused on education. “Love it or hate it, cannabis is part of our reality now,” says Kim Gertler, media and communications representative for CAPS Ontario. “That means, it’s part of the duty of care of every sommelier to look after their customer, and monitor their levels of intoxication and inebriation—whether it’s through alcohol or cannabis. It’s important for people to inform themselves. Education, knowing what works and not, is key,” Gertler adds.
HiFi co-founder and brand and communications officer Lee Henderson and co-founder Richard Vinal at HiFi Farms in Oregon.PHOTO CREDIT: SAM GEHRKE
Clean Green Certified Cannabis might not mean anything to you right now, but it should because what you put into your body should be of the greatest importance. With that said, out on the left hand coast of the United States, the thought of being and doing more than just what is necessary really caught my attention. I’ve made a concerted effort to attempt to extract the nerd stuff first and the marketing stuff way down the line. I’m always excited about packaging and the aromatics of a product, but at the end of the day it’s the way a product feels when I imbibe it. No amount of pretty labels, nor expensive swag will change my mind in this regard. It’s the finest that money can buy, or nothing at all. I refuse to cover the 9/10th’s of the cannabis business because it’s just not the very best! What catches my attention is a product that puts the health of their customer in front of the profit. Admirable is the word that describes HiFi Farms because of their Clean Green Certification. They aim to exceed the already high standards set by the USDA/National Organic Program. From a 30,000 foot level, the deep dive on low carbon footprint and good health to the earth, just make sense to the high-end consumer who wants the very best cannabis products that contribute to their healthy lifestyle.
Details:
Alley Twenty Six presents the June event in our “Dinner With Friends” monthly charity event series benefiting the Jose Andres foundation World Central Kitchen. Our guest bartender on July 30th is writer and cocktail enthusiast Warren Bobrow. Warren is a five time author on all things cocktails and is a contributing writer for such notable publications as Saveur and Forbes Magazine.
Date:
Monday, July 30th, 2018 5 Course Cocktail and Food Pairing Dinner
LOCATION
320 East Chapel Hill Street Durham, NC, 27701
Starts promptly at 6:30pm. Cost: $95 per person plus gratuity and taxes
Payment will be collected at the end of the dinner.
Advance registration is required. Please reserve seats by clicking button below. Seating is limited. Please feel free to call us or email at finedrinking@alleytwentysix.com.
Dinner With Friends Menu – Warren Bobrow Course 1
Gin and Basil Punch
Crispy Boquerones
Grilled Watermelon, Pickled Watermelon Rind, Black Olive, Arugula, Lime Course 2
Gin, Creme de Cassis, Tonic, Roasted Grapefruit Juice, Soda, Fino Sherry Float
Fluke Crudo
Citrus, Fennel, Soy, Ginger, Thai Chili, Radish, Mint Course 3
Rye, Muddled Roasted Peach, Tonic, Soda, Celery Bitters
Confit of Duck Leg
Sweet Corn Puree, Spinach, Fingerling Potato, Bacon Lardons, 63° Egg Course 4
Bourbon, Averna, Orange Wedge, Chocolate Bitters
Herb Crusted Lamb Chops
Polenta Cake, Charred Heirloom Tomato Salsa, Pickled Red Onion, Rosemary Jus Course 5
Egg Cream
Banana Pudding Parfait
Vanilla Wafer Cookie, Chocolate Ganache, Whipped Cream, Bruleed Banana
The new incense that just swirled past your nose, in and around the Los Angeles area is not the usual throat stinging snap of burning weeds. instead it’s the lush and intellectually stimulating aromatics of freshly crushed fine herbs and exotic flowers and spices. Just coming into nasal view are bursts of juicy and sweet tropical fruits, tangles of caramelized nut meats and candied orange zests dancing elegantly up your nose. What these micro-gusts of quickly dissipating memory stimulating fragrances represent is the new way to enjoy cannabis. This modern technique is delivered ‘sans flame’ and completely without the often-acerbic smoke that, quite frankly, doesn’t appeal to everyone. There is a slight vapor cloud, but that dissipates very quickly into the atmosphere. The Bloom Brandhas created deep scientific methodology to harness a safe and non-confrontational application of their proprietary, pure cannabis oil within your daily wellness routine. The Bloom Brand cannabis oil cartridges, micro-cannabis pens and fully-activated, pure extracted oils are market changing products. And not only because of their purity and lush aromatics. They utilize solely 100% Californian grown cannabis in their production, produced by their own methodology and high value production techniques. Each one is carefully designed to fully capture their easy-going, youthful and healthy Californian lifestyle.
Economists once speculated that with the growth of technology, humans would have more time on our hands, and with it we’d expand into leisure activities. In fact, the opposite has happened: we’re working now more than ever. It’s hardly surprising: work gives us activities, meaning, purpose and community. But what if there’s more to life? Many feel the urge to take a step back, but it’s easier said than done. So how can we slow down while keeping up? This discussion draws insight from neuroscience, mindfulness and more to offer some answers.
Today’s speakers include:
Warren Bobrow, The Cocktail Whisperer
Rachel Hughes, Founder & Director, New World Native
Tricia Katz, Senior Software Engineer, Outdoor Voices
Lisa Pike, Patagonia, VP of Environmental Activism
Join the Pool Stage at Palm Park and witness ideas unfold and evolve!
Did you have a dug-out in high school or college?I certainly did. It was an unwieldy thing as I remember. Kind of hippy-chic- no, it was not at all elegant, the bat was made from heat conducting brass, it clogged easily, burnt my lips from the heat and left specks of resin-tar and burning cannabis leaf on my teeth. The wooden box that held my herbs, let’s just say it was far from air-tight and once the spring that held the lid on got loose, the entire ‘stash-box’ would open up and empty into my pocket (lint and all), more than my ‘bat’… Those wasted herbs commingled with my pocket change just won’t do any longer now that I’ve grown up! Enter the world of luxury cannabis implements and the Elevate Dug-Out.On first glimpse, this handy-crafted dug out is sleekly elegant. This device screams bespoke…hence, each one is engineered, by hand…One at a time. Crisply manufactured, the softly polished exterior is not a cheap tropical wood product, but one that is finely formed- utilizing the finest exotic wood available. There are the twelve ‘rare-earth’ magnets that seal the well-weighted lid to the base with a satisfying click as the magnets engage-making the entire package scent-proof and certainly nearly waterproof. There is the generous ‘stash’ container that can be filled with about a gram or more of your finest herbs, well ground of course, leaving ample room for some beeswax coated hemp wick to light your glass joint, instead of using using that carcinogenic butane lighter sitting in your hand to do this seemingly mundane task. The ‘bat’ appears to be perfectly blown by hand (mouth) with an interior shelf inserted inside the glass joint itself that prohibits the fine grains of your herbs from flowing back into your mouth, therefore burning your lips and tongue. The size of the bat is not as minuscule in dimension as the dug-out pipe of my memories. It is slightly stout in width, like a miniature cigar, and quite robust in its unique sort of manner. The glass blown joint fits your fingers easily, with alacrity. The polished dark wooden tip offers another level of overall elegance with scarcely a burned lip or tongue to be had. In fact, the very thought of burning your lips, fingers or tongue are sent way into your distant memory.