Warren is the cofounder and CEO of drinkklaus.com, the finest terpene forward, craft cannabis cocktail in the world. He's written Apothecary Cocktails-Restorative Drinks from Yesterday and Today, Bitters and Shrub Syrup Cocktails: Restorative Vintage Cocktails, Mocktails, and Elixirs , Whiskey Cocktails : Rediscovered Classics and Contemporary Craft Drinks Using the World's Most Popular Spirit, Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails, and Tonics: The Art of Spirited Drinks and Buzz-Worthy Libations, and the Craft Cocktail Compendium (2017)
Warren Bobrow has been a pot scrubber, dishwasher, the owner of the first company to make fresh pasta in South Carolina , a television engineer in New York City, and he even worked at the famed club named Danceteria. He became a trained chef from the dish sink up; this unfortunately led to a mostly unsuccessful twenty year career in private banking.
Currently a cannabis, wine and travel aficionado, Warren is a former international rum judge and craft spirits national brand ambassador.
He works full time in the cannabis business as an alchemist/journalist/CEO. Instagram: warrenbobrow
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Bobrow
Tuesday February 7, 2017 @6:00 p.m. 495 S 4th Street, Columbus Ohio 43206
CORS in February should be all about the love between two spirits, right? This month we showcase rum’s amazing ability to embrace others… Spirits, that is. In fact, rum and its many styles integrate beautifully in a cocktail glass with its cousins, from bourbon and rye to mezcal. Join us Tuesday 2/7 at 6:00 p.m. as we continue to celebrate the versatility of rum. Meet the brilliant Warren Bobrow, the renowned Cocktail Whisperer, traveling from the Garden State to share his wealth of boozy knowledge and unbridled enthusiasm with Central Ohio Rummers!
When getting intoxicated in only one way isn’t enough!
Sure you like to get high, and you like to get drunk. But if what you really want to do is get drunkly high or highly drunk with style, then the book Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails & Tonics by perma-happy mixologist Warren Bobrow, is the book for you.
Warren Bobrow (Author)
Some say alcohol and cannabis don’t mix. Those people are just doing it wrong. Booze before Bud, head hits thud… but Bud before Booze is a breezy cruise. And Both blended together can be badass.
Bobrow’s book is a collection of 75 recipes of cannabis influenced cocktails and drinks designed to bring the buzz. But beyond cocktails, you can create special tonics, syrups, shrubs, bitters, compound butter and exotic infused oil to use in any drink, or to start your own Apothecary in the 1890s.
Begin your day with coffee, tea, and milk-based cannabis beverages to bring in a super Sunday hanging around the house listening to aaallll of Sting before heading to your local Broga class (Bro yoga: for dudes only). Or get an afternoon pick-me-up with gut healing shrubs and mood enhancing syrups before chowing down on Mickey D’s on your “cheat day” cuz the cravings are craaaazy today. Make cooling lemonades and sparking herbal infusions to soothe the fevered brow after that big fight with your boyfriend about who didn’t soak the dishes enough. Then have an after dinner herbal-based cannabis drink for relaxation at the end of a crazy high day cuz you didn’t realize you didn’t have to try all the recipes in one day. The options are intoxicatingly endless with Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails & Tonics.
Energy drinks… hmmm.Maybe because I’m neither a millennial, nor “out of energy”, but quite honestly- I’ve never had one. The entire multi-billion-dollar energy drink market- completely ignored by myself.I have no desire- none at all– to see what it’s like to mix Red Bull with Vodka.That’s amateur hour stuff, which in my opinion, sends all the wrong messages on drinking responsibly.
Oh, don’t get me wrong, I love the winter. Just in someone else’s dream. You see, I’m less fond of the slop and the slipping on the ice leading to a fall…or worse! It gives me something to complain about. When a truck splashes a pedestrian — speaking in the first person of course — well, it makes me want to drink. Or at least to make a drink.
When I’m weaving tales of woe, the last thing I want to be is thirsty. But not being a heavy drinker has its benefits and failures. I would have to explain how I came to use weed and liquor in the first place and unless you were in New Orleans at the Pharmacy Museum, you’d never know.
So it stands to reason that if the weather is cold outside, I want to get warm. And the best way to do that is with drink and a fine Indica Strain. I want couchlock. I want to feel like a warm cashmere blanket is bathing my bones in thick heat. There is much to be said for this feeling and it is all good.
The Difficulty of Winter Walking is more than a metaphor; it is the name of this cocktail:
The Difficulty of Winter Walking
Warren Bobrow with DOWW
Ingredients:
2 oz. Cannabis Infused Aged Jamaican Rum (I used OG Kush-decarbed at 240 degrees for 45 minutes- for my Cannabis, then infused for a period of time).
For the rum element, I like my rum to be funky from the use of a Dunder. What is a Dunder? It’s a wild yeast that lives in the dunder or muck pit. Sort of like a sourdough only much funkier. No way do you ever want to see one. But the rum? It’s salubrious!
4 oz. Grilled Pineapple Juice- Grill slices of Pineapple on a grill and cool, then juice. Charred is great!
½ oz. Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
½ oz. Raw Honey Simple Syrup
2 oz. Sparkling Water
Pinch of Sea Salt, like Maldon (flaky)
Coconut Water Ice — just like it sounds: freeze a tray of coconut water into ice. Do it now!
Angostura Bitters
Prep:
To a Collins Glass: Add the Coconut Water Ice. Add the OG Kush infused Jamaican Rum to a mixing glass with the 2-3 cubes of regular ice- save the coconut water ice for the cocktail. Add the Grilled Pineapple Juice. Add the Lemon Juice. Add the Raw Honey Simple syrup (1 cup raw honey to 1 cup of hot, not boiling, water. let cool.). Stir until chilled. Add the Coconut water ice to the Collins Glasses. Top with your mixture of rum, pineapple and honey/lemon juices. Finish with a splash of Sparkling Water and the Angostura Bitters. Top with a puff of Sea Salt and serve.
Now, for my next trick…
Here’s a punch I named after my most favorite bar in Miami Beach, (so far anyhow): The Broken Shaker.
The back story is my family owned a home on Hibiscus Island in Miami Beach. And it was a grand Spanish style home that sprawled over several acres of land, which is a lot for anyplace in this area. The Broken Shaker is located in the Freehand Hotel and the designer of the original property designed my grandparent’s home. It’s uncanny for me to enter this hotel/hostel because from the moment that I entered the door of the Broken Shaker Bar, I felt right at home. I’ll name this punch after the name of my grandparent’s home: Shangri-La.
Shangri-La Punch. The tour boats still go in front of the mansion today saying it was the home of the founder of Geritol and Serutan. But no more. Too bad, but time goes on.
The use of Fruitations Tangerine Soda Syrup is brilliant because the second you open the top, the punch is absolute perfection because of the utter quality of the ingredients.
Shangri-La/Broken Shaker-style-Roasted Fruit and Rum Punch
1 bottle Jamaican Rum infused with the strain of your choice
4 bananas
2 pineapple
4 pink grapefruit
1 orange
1 bottle Fruitations Tangerine Soda and Cocktail Syrup
1 Bottle Seltzer water
Angostura Bitters
Couple pinches of sea salt, like Maldon
Fresh Thyme
Prep:
Pre-heat an oven to 350.
On a silicone oven proof tray, add slices of the bananas, pink grapefruit slices, the pineapple (peeled and cored and sliced) and the orange. Roast for 30 minutes, let cool and then muddle into a punch bowl, try to get as much juice into the punch as you are able. Augment when necessary with freshly squeezed juices (they don’t appear in the recipe- so add as needed, depending on how many you are serving)
Add the Fruitations Tangerine Soda and Cocktail Syrup. Add the Seltzer and the Angostura Bitters. Top with the sea salt and a bit of fresh thyme- no wood. It’s bitter!
Never more than one per hour please!
– See more at: http://thefreshtoast.com/drink/wrap-yourself-in-the-warmth-of-these-cannabis-cocktails/#sthash.zSFlGsfd.dpuf
Very few spirits offer the diversity of rum. Rum can be served in a variety of ways. Hot, cold and at room temperature without diminishing the flavor or potency! Some of my most favorite methods of serving rum drinks during the holidays in a hand held form. A hot toddy for instance is the perfect way to introduce your guests to the pleasures of rum. If they are not careful, a hot toddy will also introduce them to a pillow faster than you can say sleepy-time!
Some toddy-style cocktails that speak of the season…
The Apple Rum Bake
Prepared to get baked after drinking a couple of these hot cocktails
Ingredients:
Calvados
Dark Rum
Hot spiced tea
Butter
Preparation:
Heat a pot of spiced Indian tea
For two blisteringly strong drinks:
Add: 6 oz. of Rum to the pot of spiced tea along with 2 oz of Calvados
Pour into pre-heated mugs and top with a pat of sweet butter
Sip to la la land.
Enjoy these boozy concoctions!
The Peppermint Dream Cocktail
Peppermint, hot chocolate and rum are one of these cocktails. There are three different kinds of chocolate, dark, sweet and white. Melted into your cup with the addition of peppermint oil and dark rum, your guests won’t know why they are floating on a cloud before the evening is over. Freshly whipped cream (never that stuff in a can) propels this hot toddy into dessert infamy.
Ingredients for a large punch bowl of relaxation:
Ingredients:
3 different types of melted chocolate (white, dark bitter and sweet) enough for 12 cups
1 teaspoon of concentrated peppermint oil
1 bottle of dark rum (Barbados or Jamaican come to mind)
4 cups of the 1/2 condensed milk, 1/2 whole milk mixture
Process:
Warmed sweetened condensed milk & regular milk in 50/50 proportions
Melt chocolate and add warmed milk mixture to thin out for your mug of goodness
Add 2 oz. of dark rum to each mug
Stir with a peppermint stick
The Sailor’s Dilemma
The next drink is savory in nature. It involves Beef Bullion. You serve this toddy as a welcoming tot by the front door of your home.
Ingredients:
1 Gallon of strong beef bullion in a brightly polished copper pot set over a flame
1 bottle of dark rum
½ bottle of overproof rum (140 proof)
Freshly cracked pepper
Process:
Combine ingredients and gently heat to just below a simmer
Sip VERY carefully….
The Red Shirt Cocktail
The next drink is perfect for enjoying amongst your friends… I use maple syrup, dark rum, seltzer and Sweet Vermouth.
Ingredients for two rather stiff slurps
Amber Rum- Find a Rhum Agricole from Martinique
Grade B Maple Syrup (DARK Amber)
Sweet Vermouth like Carpano Antica or Atsby “Armadillo Cake” Vermouth
Large cubes of ice 3×3
Bitter End Curry Bitters
Preparation:
To a Boston Shaker, fill ¾ with ice
Add:
4 Tablespoons of the Grade B Syrup
Add 4 oz. Rhum Agricole
Add 1 oz. Sweet Vermouth
Shake Shake Shake shake
Strain over the 3×3 ice cubes in a rocks glass
Add 2 drops of the Bitter End Curry Bitters over the top
Muddle, mix, shake, stir, pour–whatever the method, you’ll learn how to create the perfect cocktail.
Whether you’re new to mixing drinks or have been creating your own cocktails for years, The Craft Cocktail Compendium has everything you need to know to mix, shake, or stir your way to a delicious drink. With over 200 craft cocktail recipes, expert mixologist Warren Bobrow will help you broaden your skills and excite your taste buds with unique takes on timeless favorites and recipes you’ve likely never tried before.
Images courtesy of Warren Bobrow: the Hoochie Coochie Man cocktail (left) and the non-alcoholic Rose, Saffron and Cardamom Lassi (right) from his latest book Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails and Tonics: The Art of Spirited Drinks and Buzz-Worthy Libations.
Earlier this year, Warren treated our readers to a sneak peek of the book before it was available for purchase! If you missed that post, click here to get his recipe for the Mezzrole Cocktail, with a little dose of history regarding cannabis beverages.
Now, Warren has generously shared a couple of his favorite drinks that are perfect for transitioning from Summer to Fall.
Labor Day may be considered the unofficial end of Summer, but temperatures are still high here in Los Angeles and probably will be for a few more weeks. These cooling concoctions will definitely help prepare for the cooler climate to come, and the cardamom in the second recipe welcomes in the warm spices associated with Fall.
Really though, there are no rules that say you can’t drink these beverages any time of year. Do you only eat ice cream when it’s hot outside? I’m guessing the answer is no.
So, give one of these drinks a try this weekend to cool off and, if you love it, enjoy it whenever you feel like it, regardless of the weather!
Hoochie Coochie Man
“In India, where temperatures regularly hit three figures, cooling beverages are a must. Enter the lassi, a yogurt-based drink that’s akin to a smoothie. My favorite version features mango puree—or, in a pinch, mango sorbet or sherbet—paired with thick Greek-style yogurt and a snow shower of crushed coconut water ice. If you’re making a Hoochie Coochie Man, you’ll want to correct it with a little cannabis-infused light rum. Try infusing your rum with Critical Kush, a mostly-Indica strain. It has deep aromatics of Asian spices, freshly turned soil, and a concentrated pungency that’s the right contrast for the sweetness of the mango and the yogurt. And there’s enlightenment in each sip. (This strain of Kush is a powerful full-body relaxant, though, so no driving or bicycle riding allowed!) Top off your Hoochie with a couple drops of Creole bitters, which were originally invented as a remedy for dysentery.”
How to make the Hoochie Coochie Man cocktail:
Ingredients:
• 4 ounces (120 ml) mango puree
• 4 ounces (120 ml) Greek-style yogurt
• 1 ounce (30 ml) cannabis-infused light rum
• 1 cup crushed coconut water ice
• Creole-style bitters
Note: To infuse your rum, follow the same instructions given to infuse your vermouth that we shared in our previous post for the Mezzrole Cocktail recipe. This technique is straight Warren’s book and can be used to infuse any liquor of your choice.
Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in blender and process until smooth. Divide between two Burgundy wine glasses with plenty of freshly crushed coconut water ice. Dot each with a couple drops of the Creole bitters.
Serves 2
Rose Saffron Cardamom Lassi
“I’m a bit of a lassi addict regardless of the weather, but in summertime, the cravings really kick in. That’s why I couldn’t resist including a second lassi recipe here—one that’s dripping with Asian perfumes of rose, bright-yellow saffron, and green-citrusy cardamom. Cardamom, by the way, is the flavor equivalent of a knife: it slices right through the rich milk fat in the yogurt and milk. This lassi is sweetened with a Medicated Rich Simple Syrup that’s been made with raw honey: make yours with Sativa strain Early Pearl. Its aromatics of chocolate, warm spices, and slow-cooked stone fruits add nuance to the lassi’s exotic floral flavors. This recipe makes two servings, and it contains plenty of medicated syrup, so don’t drink the whole batch yourself—at least not at one sitting.”
How to make a (non-alcoholic) Rose Saffron Cardamom Lassi:
Ingredients:
• 2 cups (460 g) Greek-style yogurt
• 3/4 cup (175 ml) whole milk
• 4-5 threads dried saffron, reconstituted in 2 tablespoons warmed milk, then cooled
• Scant pinch of turmeric
• Seeds from 6 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) rosewater
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) Medicated Rich Simple Syrup (see page 43), made with raw honey
Directions:
Place all the ingredients except the Medicated Rich Simple Syrup in a blender and process until smooth and creamy. Add the Medicated Rich Simple Syrup: taste, and add more sugar and rosewater, if required. Blend again. Divide between two Burgundy wine glasses, and top each with a pinch of saffron, if desired.
Serves 2
Warren was generous enough to also provide his special Medicated Simple Syrup recipe from page 43 of his latest book!
“Simple syrup is an essential weapon in any bartender’s arsenal, and if you’re making cannabis cocktails, you’ll want to have a batch of this at the ready. Feel free to make it with either Demerara sugar or raw honey—and you can also doctor it up with just about any kind of fresh herb or flavoring. (The glycerine helps speed up the absorption of THC into your digestive system.) Use it in just about any recipe that calls for simple syrup.”
Directions:
Pour the water into a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce the temperature to about 190ºF. Add the sugar or raw honey and stir it until it is completely dissolved into the water. (If you’re using raw honey and you find that the syrup looks too clear, add a little more honey.) Add the cannabis, then cover the saucepan. Reduce the heat again to about 160ºF and simmer for at least 30 minutes to infuse the simple syrup with the cannabis.
Reduce the temperature a third time, to medium-low, and add the lecithin. Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent cooking and burning. Remove from the heat, and strain through a cheesecloth-lined strainer into a stainless steel bowl that’s resting in a larger, ice-filled container. This will help it cool quickly. Makes about 1 cup.
To make a Medicated Rich Ginger Simple Syrup, make the Medicated Rich Simple Syrup with raw honey instead of sugar, and add a 1-inch piece of ginger root, peeled and thickly sliced, along with the cannabis. Continue with the recipe as directed.
Tools of the trade for a classic old fashion cocktail.
I was playing around with flavors the other day and coffee seemed to resonate more clearly than ever. Maybe it was the recent cold snap, or perhaps it was my palate calling out for deeper (read: more intense) flavors. That’s where Death Wish Coffee comes into play. They say that it’s the world’s strongest coffee and I tend to agree with them, as long as I control the brewing method. You see, I’m pretty picky when it comes to strong. I like to do coffee in either a French press or as a pour-over. Never do I use an automatic machine.
It’s pretty hard to mess up coffee when it is well roasted and Death Wish seems to have their roasting expertise down to a minute science.
Instead of the pricey Arabica beans, they have chosen the rougher- and more caffeinated Robusta beans. OK, before you get your underwear all in a bunch, it just happens to be that Robusta coffee is excellent in craft cocktails. Especially when they are treated to a long, cold infusion.
For this is why I do what I do. I love to play around with flavors and Death Wish Coffee makes it easy on me.
I’m pretty well known for simplicity in my craft cocktails. This one is no different with only three ingredients plus bitters. That should satisfy even the most hard pressed for time bartender/mixologist. Because if you are ten deep at the bar on any given Saturday night, let me tell you from my own experience that fewer ingredients make a happier bartender!
This cocktail, a take on the classic Manhattan involves a rum that is near and dear to my heart. I use Mezan XO because of the anything but sweet- funky, slightly smoky (bourbon oak cask aged) demeanor. The XO is a combination of rums from four different Jamaican distilleries. The part of the story that speaks most clearly to me involves the rum from Long Pond. Its distinctive flavor stands out as authentic, untouched rum. No caramel, no added sugar, no glycerin, no chill-filtering. Ah, the good stuff.
So I took a healthy portion of the Jamaica XO and added it to a 24-hour infusion of the Death Wish Coffee (It’s usually called cold brewed, I call it slightly insane) and added to a bit of my favorite for a Manhattan of this demeanor, Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth. There is a smoky unctuous quality about Carpano. Perhaps it is the historic recipes that dates back to the 1700’s. I’m not sure- but they did say that Vermouth was originally invented against head lice and stomach worms so it couldn’t hurt you if you use it with rum and coffee.
Underneath Bell’s Crossing
Ingredients:
2 oz. Mezan XO Rum
2 oz. Cold Brewed Death Wish Coffee
2 oz. Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
1 cocktail cherry – better be home cured
3to 5 shakes Chocolate Mole Bitters
Prep:
Pre-chill double old fashioned glass with ice and water
To a cocktail mixing glass filled ¼ with ice
Add the Mezan XO Rum
Add the Death Wish Coffee- cold brewed
Add the Carpano Antica
Add the Chocolate Mole’ Bitters
Stir 30-40 times
Taste with a straw discreetly; add more bitters as necessary
Strain into pre-chilled glass over fresh ice.
Add cherry
Serve!
– See more at: http://drinkwire.liquor.com/post/underneath-bells-crossing#gs.=uQeCPY – Read more at: http://scl.io/dJXQx7X3#gs.=uQeCPY
Warren Bobrow is a famous marijuana enthusiast and mixologist. These are the two passions of his life, and their mix can only result in something wonderful. His favorite art of spirited drinks is now shown in a cocktail book that contains dozens of recipes. These marijuana-infused drinks impress the audience with their diversity and delicious taste.
His book Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails & Tonics also contains useful information about the history of the pharmacists of the old times using cannabis-infused tinctures and drinks to treat their patients. In addition, the introduction of the book describes various ways of infusing alcohol, preparing tonics and tinctures to use them in the future for the delicious recipes in the book.
At first, Warren Bobrow creates a large variety of tinctures, oils, milk, and syrups that allow the mixologist to bring the art of cocktail-making to the new levels. For a long time, the man has been trying to find the ideal balance between alcohol and weed.
If you have ever wanted to make a cannabis-infused cocktail, add THC to your Bloody Mary, you simply have to read this book for some knowledge and inspiration.
If you wonder what cannabis strain to use for these drinks, we can recommend you to experiment a little and try to use the Blueberry strain. As all indica-dominant hybrid strains, this one will provide you with the necessary relaxation and happiness. This strain adds both sweetness and exotic notes to your marijuana beverage. A Bloody Good Remedy
Ingredients:
180 ml chilled tomato-clam mixer (such as Clamato)
10 ml (2 teaspoons) of cannabis tincture
garnishes (the usual variants include olives, fresh chiles, celery sticks, etc.)
Have you ever tried the famous Bloody Mary before? If it is your favorite drink, we recommend you to read another recipe of Mr. Bobrow that adds a bit of spice to this drink. A Bloody Good Remedy has one special quality that will surprise you—the drink has no alcohol in it. Besides, it is just lightly medicated, so you do not have to worry about overwhelming effects.
You simply have to fill a glass with a lot of ice, pour the tomato-clam mixture into the glass, and add some tincture that you have at home. This recipe allows you to experiment with garnishes—be as creative as you like. Besides, you can add a few blueberries or grapes as a garnish instead of using a berry-flavoured tincture. The combination may seem strange at first, but it is something new for you to try.
All drinks in this book are elegant and full of nuances that can help you understand the mixology a little better. Besides, each one of them, from the simple coffee to complex alcohol drinks, has its own author notes that are full of useful information and present the drink in an ideal way.
– See more at: http://drinkwire.liquor.com/post/warren-bobrows-mixology-workshop-the-best-recipes-with-blueberry-strain#gs.=uQeCPY – Read more at: http://scl.io/ySb1lwlf#gs.=uQeCPY
Behold the magic of raspberry shrub and cannabis simple syrup.
Real shrubs are for your cocktail glass. And no, they are not the kind that take up room in your front yard. Shrubs are an almost unheard-of combination of both vinegar and preserved fruit and cane sugar syrup. During the late summer months, they are especially delicious because they are cost next to nothing to make and quite thirst slaking. They also mix really nicely with Cannabis in a cocktail made with rum.
The history of shrubs dates back hundreds of years. They were most frequently used into the mid-1800s. The people who enjoyed them were amongst the working class and mostly because of the utter lack of refrigeration. No electricity, meaning no refrigeration for food preservation means all bad things to the gut.
But everything isn’t gloom and doom. Enter this homemade, vinegar-based fruit syrup. Shrubs were an inexpensive, sweet refreshment that could be added to a multitude of alcoholic liquids. People found that drinking certain kinds of acidulated liquids like these preserved fruit shrubs helped ease their aching bellies from the consumption of ‘certainly compromised foods and drink’.
Drinking these easy to make and easier to enjoy- sweet and tangy beverages were found to give the imbiber quick energy, too. Were they the first energy drinks? Possibly…
Fast forward to today, mixologists have rediscovered the magic of utilizing fresh fruit and vegetable shrubs in their craft cocktails. And now aficionados are starting to toy with them at home because of their ease in production.
Shrubs can be simply made with only three easy-to-purchase ingredients: raw sugar, some kind of vinegar and just over-ripe fruit, plus a bit of fresh water. They have a salty, sea-like undertone after they ferment for a few weeks, but are also sweet and tart. The fruit gives a deeply welcome hit of sweet perfume, the cane sugar (essential) sweetens naturally, and the unmistakable tang of your favorite vinegar makes your lips pucker, and few things are more salutary for the gut than naturally fermented beverages. Shrubs really were the original energy and health drink. And now it looks like this tangy combination of flavors have received their second wind!
Note: These shrubs will remain fresh for 1 to 2 months in the refrigerator, unless until they start to dance the jig and sing in Gaelic, then make a new batch immediately!
Summer Raspberry Shrub
(Makes about 1.5 cups)
This very basic shrub makes all kinds of refreshing combinations. Although the raspberry shrub starts out vividly red, in the end result, after a couple of weeks fermenting; the shrub will have a
pale coral hue. It’s delicious mixed with gin, vodka, rum, whiskey, Madeira, a smoky Scotch, Sherry, white wine, sparkling wine- and of course just plain water like they used to drink in the Colonial period!
Ingredients:
1 cup very ripe organic raspberries (they can be bruised and soft, but please, no mold)
1 cup raw cane sugar (Sugar in the Raw or like product)
1 cup raw cider vinegar (I use Bragg’s with the Mother Yeast intact)
Directions:
In a nonreactive bowl made of either ceramic or glass (or possibly stainless), add raspberries and pour sugar over the top.
Cover and let sit refrigerated for a few days, stirring and muddling often with a wooden spoon to combine. This mixture should expel lots of liquid, and this is good!
After a few days of gentle fermentation, add the apple cider vinegar. Let the vinegar combine with the sugar and raspberries for another week refrigerated. (Cellar temperature if you want to be absolutely authentic)
Arrange a fine-mesh strainer over a nonreactive bowl (one with a spout is handy). Pour the shrub mixture into the strainer and mash with a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.
Funnel the shrub into sterilized jars, this means submerged in boiling water for at least a minute and removed with sterilized rubber tipped tongs.
Cover and refrigerate (or cellar temp) for at least a week more, shaking well before using.
The assertive vinegar flavor will fade over time, leaving you a lightly thick- simple syrup that is tangy, sweet and very noteworthy!
Tip: A simple way to enjoy this raspberry shrub is with a glass of seltzer water and the addition of a few slivers of lemon zest. I also like to add it to gin!
Cannabis-Infused Simple Syrup
(Use strain of your choice)
Ingredients:
2 cups raw cane sugar – like sugar in the raw
3 cups filtered water
2 tablespoons vegetable glycerin (this helps supercharge the cannabis)
3 or more grams finely chopped, ultra-high-grade cannabis
Directions:
The first thing you have to do is measure out equal parts of sugar and water then bring the water to a boil.
Drop the heat down, just a bit- you’ll know when you see the sugar turning to caramel that it’s too hot!
Add in your finely chopped cannabis and stir in until the sugar has been completely dissolved.
Cover the pot and bring it to a quick simmer (do not boil!) for about 30 minutes.
Cool for ½ hour, bring back up to a simmer. Stir in the vegetable glycerin. Strain.
Let cool again, and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
Fresh Toast Fizzy
(Serves 2)
Ingredients:
large handmade ice cubes
4 ounces independent-producer rum
1 ounce Raspberry Shrub
1 ounce cannabis simple syrup (see above)
4 dashes Angostura Bitters
splash of fizzy water
Directions:
Fill a cocktail shaker three-quarters full with ice.
Pour in your rum, your handmade Shrub and the simple syrup (either cannabis infused or not) over the ice.
Cover, cap and shake hard for 15 seconds or until the shaker is really frosty.
Add a large ice cube to each of 2 coupe glasses. Strain cocktail into each of the glasses, dash the Angostura over the top of each glass (2 dashes each) and serve while icy with a splash of fizzy water of course!
Use the Thai spice principle. You can always add more spice- but you can never take it away!
NEVER more than one per hour…
