Get ready to try my Cocktail Whisperer’s twisted take on the French 75, that classic combination of gin, champagne, lemon juice, and simple syrup. This version is actually my own hybrid of the French 75 and the traditional champagne cocktail, which calls for a bitters-moistened sugar cube, brandy, gin and a heady top of champagne.
Fuse the two together, add a healthy whack of the zesty Squire’s Shrub and you’ve got a cocktail that’ll make your knees tremble because you get high and tipsy at the same time. It’s really unexplainable, you have to try it yourself. In the same way that alchemists of old attempted to turn base metals into gold, champagne can turn your plain old Tuesday afternoon into a full-on, hat-waving celebration. Be sure to keep a bottle on hand so you can whip these up the next time you find yourself hosting an impromptu shindig. Make a few batches of the Squire’s, if you dare—just keep that bottle of Fernet Branca on hand to help ease your head for the morning after.
Recipe: The Squire’s Shrub
Ingredients
1 Demerara sugar cube or a teaspoon of Demerara Sugar
Several dashes of lemon bitters (Fee Brothers works)
½ ounce Rhum Agricole Vieux (Fresh Sugar Cane juice distilled into Rhum Agricole, then aged in either French Oak casks or once used Bourbon cask…. From Martinique)
½ ounce (15 ml) botanical gin such as the popular, rose scented Hendrick’s Gin (infused with a bunch of THC )
(I used 28 grams per 750ml bottle, then slowly infuse in the gin over a couple weeks, strain and use in cocktails)
1 1⁄2 ounces (45 ml) champagne or dry sparkling wine
1 long lemon zest twist
Process
Add the sugar cube to a champagne flute and moisten with the lemon bitters. Then add your thc infused gin, Rhum Agricole Vieux and the Squire’s Strawberry-Rhubarb Shrub.
Top with champagne.
Garnish with a long lemon zest twist.
Pro Tip: To prepare this libation, combine very finely chopped lemon zest and crushed Demerara Sugar, wet the rim of the glass with lemon, and dip the glass into yellow-colored sugar. Voila!
When is a shrub not a shrub? When is a drink a plant? The quick answer is never, but these acidulated beverages are as old as history itself.
In my recently released book, Bitters and Shrub Syrup Cocktails, I revealed the secrets of these refreshing beverages and attempted to introduce a flavor profile from the past into the modern era of creative mixology. But first, what is a shrub?
A Shrub is in simple terms a mixer that is included in both mocktails (cocktails without the kick) and craft cocktails. In the days before refrigeration, it was pretty evident that without some means for food preservation, keeping items fresh was difficult at best. Gastric blockages from eating food that was less than pure was the norm and people just didn’t live long because of food borne illnesses.
Back in the times of the Egyptians, where the roots were sown for the argument that food and drinks were less injurious when they didn’t poison the imbiber. Food borne illnesses could be prevented or at least minimized by the use of an acid. In this case, the combination of vinegar and sugar when added to either fruit or vegetables contributed to the rudimentary food preservation system that existed to modern days.
Ethnic groups have long practiced food preservation methods and the use of vinegar is a major catalyst for adding both spark and health to the end result. This is of course the refreshing kick that comes from drinking beverages, (and to a lesser extent) eating foods that are preserved with vinegar. But why vinegar?
Vinegar is a powerful preservative and it also adds to digestion. The acid layer that enrobes the sweet sumptuousness of the often less than freshly picked fruit is beguiling in a liquid form, giving each sweet and tangy sip a depth unheard of prior. And the end result is good health for the entire digestive tract. Vinegar, after all, is what adds balance to the body.
Have you ever felt less than healthy from eating heavy food? Take a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and add it to a glass of fizzy water, drink it down and feel better quickly.
Fast forward to the Colonial era when intoxicants were less than high quality and masking the often assertive aromas of poorly made liquors led to the invention of something named punch. Punch was a combination of acid, to sweet, to savory – all meant to intoxicate the drinker with a minimum of effort. Students from the Northeastern states discovered that adding vinegar preserved fruits to their spirituous beverages made for a refreshing drink, one packed full of health giving ingredients that were good for the gut.
Was this vinegar based Shrub the original health drink? Certainly, it was used for good health, right up to the time when soda pop was invented. And soda pop as we all know, spelled out the demise of the Shrub until just recently when a resurgence of old methods took place in the mixology bar. Then add to that classic a voluminous portion of THC? Isn’t that irresponsible? No one said you had to drink the entire drink you know.
Flavors from our modest shrub are what forced the mixologists of today to unlock the secrets of piquancy and good cheer!
Shrubs are simply made with only three ingredients, fruit (or a vegetable), sugar and some type of vinegar. Here is a simple recipe for a Shrub that can be produced in about a week using easily acquired ingredients. It does have to be aged after the mashing of fruit, sugar and vinegar- but that timing is really up to you. It can age quickly overnight using balsamic vinegar, or the old-fashioned way. Often taking several weeks, slowly fermenting in a ceramic jug in the cellar.
I call this Shrub the Squire’s Shrub. It is a very easy Shrub to master. This is, in actuality- the preference for a softer (to the palate), yet pleasingly tangy- end result with or without an intoxicating hit of liquor or the addition of THC.
It’s true, the Squire’s Shrub does require a couple of extra steps, but I promise it’s worth your while: Your patience will be rewarded with a lush, crimson colored syrup that’s straight out of the eighteenth century, when America was in its infancy and early pharmacists would have relied on their gardens to supply the basis for their healing tonics. (Rhubarb has been used as a digestive aid for thousands of years.) There’s nothing difficult to it, though, beyond a little extra mixing, and caramelizing your fruit before making the shrub. The vinegar’s high acidity cuts through the sumptuous, charred, caramelized flavor of the roasted strawberries and rhubarb, making it a seductive addition to gin and rhum-based libations.
Recipe: The Squire’s Shrub
Ingredients
2 cups (340 g) Roasted Strawberries and Rhubarb
1 cup (200 g) Demerara sugar
1 cup (235 ml) light colored balsamic vinegar
Time: 3–4 weeks.
Process
Add the roasted strawberries and rhubarb to a nonreactive bowl.
Cover with the sugar, stir to combine, and cover it with plastic wrap.
Leave at cool room temperature for 24 hours.
Stir frequently during this time to combine as the berries and rhubarb give off their liquid.
Place a nonreactive strainer above a second nonreactive bowl, pour the fruit-sugar mixture into the strainer, and use a wooden spoon to mash the mixture in order to release as much liquid as possible. (Reserve the mashed fruit to use in cooking or baking, if you like.)
Add the balsamic vinegar to the liquid, stir, and let the mixture sit for a few hours. Funnel into sterilized bottles or jars, and age for 3–4 weeks in the refrigerator.
This shrub will last nearly indefinitely, but if it begins to quiver, foam, ooze, change color to blue, then begin dancing and speaking in foreign languages, throw it out.
Serving Suggestion:
Add a few ounces of the Squire’s Shrub to a glass of cool seltzer water for a refreshing pick me up or add to a portion of THC infused gin and a slurp of Rhum Agricole to make a proper weed cocktail.
From the very moment that the outer packaging, deeply reminiscent of luxury Chinese incense with lustrous gold leaf on the outside of the box. This brings your attention to the strikingly handsome red lettering, and then the box opens to reveal the polished glass inner tube. From here, an almost mystical experience fills the room and your head. The box, upon examination in cannabis, nerd-speak reads several very important statements about the contents and the provenance of the flowers held within. The first and foremost is the name of this ultra-luxury cannagar. That is, quite simply, Made in Xiaolin. Turning the smooth paper packaging, in the shape of an octagon, and twisting it in a circle, reveals more pertinent information. Rolled Proper comes into view. This statement provides the quality framework for what rests within. The lettering states the name again, Made in Xiaolin. Pure luxury. Drilling down deeper, more information reveals itself with every twist of the wrist. Ring Gauge, in this case, the cannagar resting in my hand is a #40. Then, in block letters it reads information on the lit time, and in this case it is at least three hours! The flower is equally as important with the strain listed, making up this cannagar as Electric Lemon G flower and Electric Lemon G, Live Resin in the carefully chosen mix.
**Xiaolin doesn’t grow their own flowers, nor do they extract their own concentrates.
Part of the art of a cannagar is the procurement of the finest raw materials depending on the harvest at the time. Crafted together to create a true work of living art. In my case, it’s ten grams of the most exceptionally well- propagated flower and two grams of the concentrate of the ‘chef’s’ choice. This amalgamation of raw materials comprises the cannagar. Glowing from within the inner glass tube, and the inner glow from the gold leaf wrapper. The cannagar is sealed from humidity and uncontrolled aging, with a secure, screw down closure for ease of access. Each ultra-high-end cannagar comes emblazoned with more of the luxury red and gold lettering that signifies elegance.
It reads Rolled Proper in gold and the lettering is carefully set handsomely upon the deeply colored, handsome red background. The packaging alone is representative of success, entrepreneurship and utter quality. It is safe to say that the packaging for this cannagar shows quite clearly the care and concern that goes into the assembly of each cannagar, as if it was the only cannagar made during the day. This is the quality quotient. When a product is created, not just to please the artist, but to offer a sense of self and luxury to the person fortunate enough to afford such opulence. If you are at the top of your game and want the very best cannagar that your hard-earned money can buy, find yourself one of these. It’s worth the effort because you are absolutely going to make it your business to find a Xiaolin Cannagar. As in the search for the Holy Grail, this is your quest. The Xiaolin Cannagar is a thing that exemplifies quality over quantity. It unlocks intellectualism and it makes you believe, deeply inside your CHI, that the enjoyment of this cannagar truly makes you one of the luckiest in the land. And the cost of this luxury? Anywhere between $ 200 and $ 420 dollars in the USA depending on where you go.
There is a scent that fills the room, and it is of perfectly aged flowers of the finest quality. Woven into a mixture of cannabis concentrate and freshly dried and then cured flowers. Good health comes into focus, because the experience of enjoying a Xiaolin Cannagar is not one to be rushed. Perhaps it’s the quality of the ingredients that bring the focus into view. First of all, the Xiaolin Cannagar is not a budget expenditure. The cannagar that I was fortunate to enjoy (via Carrier Pigeon), was assembled using absolutely the finest parts available in the marketplace. The outer wrapper is spun with SHINE gold leaf wrappers to form perfectly around the completely hand-crafted cannagar that will greatly exceed your expectations.
I first met Matt McGinn in the sprawling, farming town of Woodland, California near the location of the cannabis beverage packaging company that he utilizes named Spacestation. Matt struck me immediately as a brilliant young man with a ready smile and firm handshake. He was not new to the beverage business, having sold his coffee company in the recent past in Minneapolis. He took his profits and moved to the West Coast to become a star in the cannabis beverage industry.
California is a far cry from the Midwest. This direction that he created in this nascent industry of cannabis beverages would certainly change the way people imbibe their cannabis. His cannabis infused products really got my attention with their bold packaging and high THC content-100mg, which is more than any other RTD (Ready To Drink) cannabis infused beverage.
I wanted to taste it and experience what his Instagram site shows as something different and delicious that really works.
Matt was not and is not satisfied with only getting his customers just a little bit stoned, far from! He is focusing on the legacy user of cannabis by not just “micro-dosing” the beverage with 2.5mg of THC for an entire can.
His invention, Uncle Arnie’s drink remix packs a full one hundred milligrams of high-quality, Vertosa cannabis emulsion engineering into each small bottle. Sure, you can divide these little bottles into ten servings at ten milligrams each, but where is the fun in that? This is a very adult beverage for the person who wants to feel something when they drink an Uncle Arnie.
They want to get lit up!
A bit of background into cannabis infused libations. I could never understand why some bartenders from my former life in the on and off premise liquor business would attempt to up-charge their guests with CBD. They would do this by dribbling a scant few drops of (unknown provenance) CBD into their craft cocktails. Of course, adding CBD to alcohol does nothing at all but lighten the drinker’s pocket, who probably doesn’t know any better to begin with.
Adding CBD to a craft cocktail doesn’t get you stoned, and it never will. And the strength of the alcohol negates any healing that the bartender is babbling on about, before charging you a minimum, ten dollar up-charge for the miniscule portion of what is really just snake oil.
Ask me what I think about snake oil!
Matt’s cannabis beverage on the other hand clearly gets you really blasted in a really fun way. They contain THC! Even if you were to drink just a quarter of the small bottle, you’ll have a clearly satisfying occasion. Think of his THC infused beverage as a journey to the center of the earth. The core of the earth being your mind and the very center of this core, is what little remains of your brain as it shatters into a billion pieces.
Take it slow when drinking Uncle Arnie’s. You don’t have to be a hero and drink the entire bottle the first time out, especially if you are new to cannabis edibles and drinkables.
Think of Uncle Arnie as you would a healing elixir from the early apothecary shop. It’s meant to take the edge off and fix what ails ye.
Matt has created something marvelous that tastes best drizzled over a few cubes of hand-cut ice with a splash or two of both freshly squeezed lime and orange juices. A mocktail that behaves exactly as you would surmise. With a massive kick.
Authors note:
I haven’t been writing about THC beverages, or any beverages at all. Matt’s story is really different than many of the forces at work in the cannabis RTD space. His beverage was not created by some Madison Avenue advertising agency. Far from. He’s a young guy with deep talent and the guts to do something that no one has done prior. That is put a spin on a classic, home-spun beverage in a way that would make Arnold Palmer blush.
Warren Bobrow/Skunk Magazine: Do you play golf? Why the Arnold Palmer?
Matt McGinn=MMG: I played as a teenager – I could hit the ball really far, but that’s about it. I had some shoulder injuries that limited my ability to play, but I’m ready to start up again. Uncle Arnie’s Iced Tea Lemonade is not related in any way to golf or Arnold Palmer – it’s a classic drink that most people like. Uncle Arnie is a distant relative and a bit of a 60s party guy!
WB/Skunk Magazine: Why a cannabis beverage with 100mg?
MMG: The majority of the California cannabis market is currently for the legacy users and they need a higher dosed product to feel even lightly medicated. For the consumer that doesn’t want that strong of an impact, there is a handy dosing gauge on the bottle, so you can make your drink exactly as strong as you like.
WB/Skunk Magazine: What are your six and twelve month goals?
MMG: New flavors are coming, and we are working hard to increase our regional and national footprint in legal markets.
MMG: Chocolate Chip Pancakes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! YUM! My drink of choice is Seltzer Water with juice – the more bubbles the better. My favorite food memory is the mouthwatering food from Smoke in the Pit, a BBQ joint in Minneapolis.
WB/Skunk Magazine: What is your passion?
MMG: I am passionate about bringing affordable and legal cannabis to the masses and making it more accessible for every consumer.
The Chill Bong, aka Chill Steel Pipe, is one of the most intriguing tools of the cannabis smoking trade.
But first, what makes it so good? Let me tell you why.
It smokes smoothly… Soft and serene against your mouth and plunging down to your lungs filling them deeply.
Laidback pulls with profound velocity into your lungs. This bong hits like a freight train!
Add some sizable cube ice for deep cooling. Large tube and deep bottom hold the cold inside for hours with enthusiasm.
Comfortable in the hand, it won’t slip nor fall with the broad base holding everything together.
Similar technology to a thermos. Keeps the cold smoke cold and the hot smoke hot for hours…
Easy to clean, just use some ISO – cap with your hand and shake hard, your Chill Bong will be clean as a whistle!
Sturdy and solid construction, this bong won’t shatter if it falls to the floor, unlike your usual glass bong, which will smash into sharp pieces.
I love my Chill Bong (Chill Steel Pipe) and full disclosure here. Normally I’m not a bong smoker. They tend to get me too high! The Chill Bong is everything I’d hoped for in a bong. It reminds me of my first bong, back in time when I was a teenager, all those decades ago. I bought my first bong at Wonderland in Philadelphia. I remember that it was big deal to buy my first bong, a tube bong. It served me well during my last two years in prep school, until I added too much ice one time and it cracked. I’ve owned only a couple bongs since then, although I’ve smoked many.
The Chill Bong is much more durable than my memories.
I recognize that about forty years have passed since I owned my first bong, times have changed along with technology. If I had a Chill Bong back in the seventies, I’d have saved myself a lot of money over the years. The Chill Bong is virtually indestructible… A massive savings over time.
I love my Chill Bong and you will too. The non-stick coating on the inside makes cleaning a breeze with the right implements. I recommend a long soft bristle brush for the task at hand. Cleaning a glass bong is far more difficult. The Chill Bong will charm you and your friends. They all should have their own Chill Bong. Just my opinion, but one based on solid use of a really well made tool.
And what smoke did I utilize for my journey into Chill Land?
Green Bodhi. Just the best for unlocking the inner self and discovering mindfulness.
Was I too high? Perhaps…. Did I learn anything? Absolutely I did… Amazing work, this Chill Bong.
Chill is the world’s first stainless-steel, vacuum insulated smoking device, designed to take life’s bumps and bruises while also keeping your water cold for hours. With two patents to its name, nothing on the market is quite like Chill.
Q: What makes the Chill so cool?
A: Ice Cold Hits: Chill’s patented double-wall vacuum insulated construction creates a shield that prevents heat from penetrating, keeping your ice solid & water cold for hours. Enjoy ice cold hits all day long.
Q: Is it fragile like your typical glass bong?
A: No More Broken Glass: Chill is made from stainless steel and is relatively indestructible compared to standard water pipes, so you can easily take it anywhere.
Q: Is it easy to clean?
A: Chill’s patented ceramic interior hits and cleans like glass – you simply screw off the neckpiece to clean.
Q: Once I have a Chill Bong, can I add to it?
A: Designed to Evolve: Chill is “open source” and purposely designed to work with major water pipe components on the market. Mix and match your favorite percolators, neckpieces, and other accessories.
From the very moment that the outer packaging, deeply reminiscent of luxury Chinese incense with lustrous gold leaf on the outside of the box. This cannagar brings your attention to the strikingly handsome red lettering, and then the box opens to reveal the polished glass inner tube.
From here an almost mystical experience fills the room and your head. The box, upon examination in cannabis, nerd-speak reads several very important statements about the contents and the provenance of the flowers held within. The first and foremost is the name of this ultra-luxury cannagar. That is, quite simply, Made in Xiaolin. Turning the smooth paper packaging, in the shape of an octagon, and twisting it in a circle, reveals more pertinent information. Rolled Proper comes into view. This statement provides the quality framework for what rests within. The lettering states the name again, Made in Xiaolin. Pure luxury. Drilling down deeper, more information reveals itself with every twist of the wrist. Ring Gauge, in this case, the cannagar resting in my hand is a #40. Then, in block letters it reads information on the lit time, and in this case it is at least three hours! The flower is equally as important with the strain listed, making up this cannagar as Electric Lemon G flower and Electric Lemon G, Live Resin in the carefully chosen mix.
Xiaolin doesn’t grow their own flowers, nor do they extract their own concentrates.
Part of the art of a cannagar is the procurement of the finest raw materials depending on the harvest at the time. Crafted together to create a true work of living art. In my case, it’s ten grams of the most exceptionally well- propagated flower and two grams of the concentrate of the ‘chef’s’ choice. This amalgamation of raw materials comprises the cannagar. Glowing from within the inner glass tube, and the inner glow from the gold leaf wrapper. The cannagar is sealed from humidity and uncontrolled aging, with a secure, screw down closure for ease of access. Each ultra-high-end cannagar comes emblazoned with more of the luxury red and gold lettering that signifies elegance.
It reads Rolled Proper in gold and the lettering is carefully set handsomely upon the deeply colored, handsome red background. The packaging alone is representative of success, entrepreneurship and utter quality.
It is safe to say that the packaging for this cannagar shows quite clearly the care and concern that goes into the assembly of each cannagar, as if it was the only cannagar made during the day. This is the quality quotient. When a product is created, not just to please the artist, but to offer a sense of self and luxury to the person fortunate enough to afford such opulence. If you are at the top of your game and want the very best cannagar that your hard-earned money can buy, find yourself one of these. It’s worth the effort because you are absolutely going to make it your business to find a Xiaolin Cannagar. As in the search for the Holy Grail, this is your quest. The Xiaolin Cannagar is a thing that exemplifies quality over quantity. It unlocks intellectualism and it makes you believe, deeply inside your CHI, that the enjoyment of this cannagar truly makes you one of the luckiest in the land. And the cost of this luxury? Anywhere between $ 200 and $ 420 dollars in the USA depending on where you go.
There is a scent that fills the room, and it is of perfectly aged flowers of the finest quality. Woven into a mixture of cannabis concentrate and freshly dried and then cured flowers. Good health comes into focus, because the experience of enjoying a Xiaolin Cannagar is not one to be rushed. Perhaps it’s the quality of the ingredients that bring the focus into view. First of all, the Xiaolin Cannagar is not a budget expenditure. The cannagar that I was fortunate to enjoy (via Carrier Pigeon), was assembled using absolutely the finest parts available in the marketplace. The outer wrapper is spun with SHINE gold leaf wrappers to form perfectly around the completely hand-crafted cannagar that will greatly exceed your expectations.
I’m not a big fan of sugary sweet beverages. It seems like many of them fill the store shelves. Americans tend to traditionally enjoy beverages that are sweet. It’s the same most everywhere that I’ve visited in the world with Russia leading the pack. When I visited Moscow in 2015 to teach a master class in non-interventional rum at the Moscow Bar Show, I learned firsthand what it meant to drink one dimensional liquids. Everything was tooth aching sweet! Their favorite coffee in Moscow wasn’t Starbucks, (although sold there), it was Dunkin Donuts! Light and Sweet was how the Russians like their coffee.
With this said, I don’t enjoy making sweet drinks. There are so many other flavors to play with. From tangy to sour, to balance to the realm of bitters to playing parlor games with your tongue, there are so many things to taste that are not sweet in regard to flavor.
When I am tasked with developing something that is challenging in the context of just being different, my goals don’t bring me into Blueberry, candy sugar based cheap THC distillate and lemongrass, although interesting ingredients alone- they just don’t belong together.
A THC infused egg cream does sound intriguing though. Just not more than one per hour.
Truly, what I am seeking is simplicity.
The seltzer phenomenon is popular all over the world and for good reason. These beverages are relatively low calorie and refreshing, while not being as expensive as soda.
I propose however, instead of making just one more fruit punch flavored seltzer, why not emulate the classic, (at least to myself) French Herb Scented Vichy Water?
Have you ever enjoyed real French seltzer water, treated to a pinch of Herbs du Province to refresh your palate? It’s so delicious to enjoy your seltzer water with something other than sugary sweetness. How about a few drops of cucumber bitters added to the mix? That sounds really yummy. And of course, there is an ungodly amount of THC in there. What great mock-tail doesn’t include this essential ingredient? There’s no booze, so take it slow.
I created a French herb flavored simple syrup to add to the Vichy water. It’s slightly sweet from the infused simple syrup, deeply intriguing from the touch of Southern French herbs and tangy from the lemon zest infused, hand cut ice cubes.
Pro Tip: Wash those lemons really well before you zest them!
If you combine sugar and alcohol, the result is, far too often, a knee knocking hangover. So make yourself a French Herb-Scented Vichy Water instead: it’s both booze-free and mercifully low in sugar. First, you’ll make a concentrated, tangy, medicated simple syrup. Then, you’ll add it to a refreshing pour of sparkling water, before dotting the finished drink with cucumber bitters. Use a Medicated Rich Simple Syrup you’ve infused with Blue Dream, which boasts a spicy, herbal fragrance and flavors of sugar coated dark berries and exotic spices.
RECIPE: French Herb-Scented Vichy Water
Ingredients
For the herbed simple syrup:
2 TABLESPOONS (8 G) DRIED HERBES DE PROVENCE
1/2 OUNCE (15 ML) MEDICATED RICH SIMPLE SYRUP (SEE PAGE 43), MADE WITH RAW HONEY
1 TABLESPOON (15 ML) APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
For the cocktail:
LEMON ZEST ICE
6 OUNCES (180 ML) VICHY WATER (OR 6 OUNCES PLAIN SELTZER TOPPED WITH A PINCH OF SEA SALT)
CUCUMBER BITTERS
LEMON ZEST TWIST
Process
First, make the herbed simple syrup.
Place the herbes de Provence in a hemp tea bag, and seal.
Combine the Medicated Rich Simple Syrup and the apple cider vinegar in a heat-proof mason jar, and immerse the teabag in the liquid. Do not seal the jar.
Place the jar in the top of a double boiler.
Fill the top of the double boiler with enough water to cover the mason jar halfway.
Simmer lightly at no more than 160ºF (71°C) for 1 hour. (Use a digital thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature.)
Remove the teabag from the syrup mixture, and let cool.
Then, add the lemon zest ice to a Collins glass. Top with 1 ounce (30 ml) of the herbed simple syrup. Top with the Vichy water.
Dot with the cucumber bitters, and garnish with a lemon zest twist. Serve immediately.
You’ve visited the West Coast, the East Coast and possibly the Gulf Coast but have you ever been to a place known as the North Coast? It’s possible that you have been to this far-off land. Should you have visited, it’s also possible that you’ve had the opportunity to smoke a handcrafted, North Coast Cannagar. What? You haven’t?
Let this be your excuse to visit Detroit. To experience what is enchanting to smoke, containing perfectly cured cannabis flowers, set alone in a hemp wrapper. They even come combined with either hash, rosin or other cannabis based adjuncts to make a deeply memorable smoke. Alone or with friends, the North Coast Cannagars are some of the best box-pressed cannagars I’ve ever enjoyed.
I’ve smoked some really fine cannagars recently. They are far more intriguing than your typical pre-rolled joint and not just because they are bigger. Plus, your cannagar is more than just a cannabis leaf or hemp leaf shell stuffed with cannabis, anyone can do that. There is great finesse in the art of a cannagar and most of the cannagars that I’ve been savoring as of late have been veritable works of smokable art.
First, what goes into a cannagar? Some cannagars are, as I mentioned above, a shell stuffed with high-end flower and nothing else. These cannagars do not contain rosin or kief or hash, or anything but high end flower. As much as I enjoy smoking these versions, they don’t offer the added excitement that I’m seeking. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, and I could name more than a few that are made with the finest flowers and nothing more. The secret to these kinds of cannagars is usually proprietary in nature, but I will tell you that aging the cannagars has much to do with it. There are many ways to produce a cannagar, adding high potency adjuncts makes a thrill ride into something that far exceeds your expectations!
One of the most intriguing versions of the cannagar is the variety that includes concentrates. After all, when I’m spending several dozens of dollars on a cannagar, I want to be wowed in flavor and especially in effect. I want to get stoned. The Mohave Reserve from El Blunto is that hand-held work of art that you seek. It’s got diamonds inside. Diamonds are a concentrate of cannabis, not the kind that are mined, but the kind that are extracted into shapes that resemble diamonds. They are ultra-potent, and they really get the job done even after only a couple puffs. The El Blunto is your go/to if you like the experience to be memorable…
I want one that blows me away with aromatics and gets me crazy stoned at the same time.
The Mohave version really takes me there quickly and with verve.
Description:
Deeply colored hemp wrapper that resembles a tobacco wrapper in color, but the smoke is much less acerbic on the throat. Dark in color, just not dark in roughness against your throat.
The concentrates are carefully added to the top shelf flower, in this case Kush Cake, a lovely Indica dominant strain that relaxes the body while adding clarity and dexterity to my mind.
The addition of the diamonds turns wow into WOW.
Established before it was legal.
I think the cigar band says it all.
Finished with a carefully covered glass tip, each puff is smooth and elegant.
The look of this cannagar is pure luxury, resembling a carefully hand rolled cigar, but much more polished than that.
Tasting Notes:
Palate:
Dark Chocolate on the palate gives way to tangles of crushed minerals and stone fruits. Whisps of gas, specifically kerosene offers depth and balance across the tongue. Pine needles and pine sap enter the space, evaporating swiftly down your throat into your lungs.
Nose:
Richly textured with notes of Pacific Rim spices, cardamom, clove and delicate notes of eucalyptus enrobed in toasted brioche bread slathered in brown butter. The rough hemp wrapper offers further notes that resemble a roughly textured, not polished tobacco leaf, without the pesky nicotine…
Stone/Finish:
This stuff really does the trick of relaxing my brain, but the best part is the deep enlightenment after each puff. Brilliant stuff that tastes great!
Coffee and cream may sound like a mundane way to start your day, but to many it is the essential way. Taking this daily beverage quite a bit further by adding a generous portion of THC infused Rhum Agricole Vieux which is Aged rhum Agricole from the island of Martinique, now we’re getting lit up!
Down Island is the way sailors discuss the lower chain of islands in the Caribbean that include the French protectorates, Guadeloupe and Martinique. French is spoken as the primary language on these islands and Martinique possesses an AOC – appellation d’origine contrôlée for their very specific Rhum. This Rhum is not distilled from molasses. It is distilled from intensely perfumed, freshly crushed sugar cane juice. Anyone who has been to a Vietnamese restaurant and ordered a sugar cane drink is aware of this delicately sweet, food-friendly drink. In Martinique, they distill their Rhum Agricole (Agricultural Rhum) with this enchanting juice.
The end result is aged in used American Bourbon or French Oak. Sometimes with the lighter verities, they rest for a couple days in stainless, are filtered and then bottled at fifty percent alcohol or more!
For this breakfast cocktail I recommend using a land-race strain or some type of low THC strain so as to allow you to function after imbibing this hard to forget sultry sipper.
The sum of the parts for this little cocktail is quite simple. First, I infuse a 750ml bottle of Rhum Vieux Agricole like St. James or Clement from Martinique with at least an ounce of the finest cannabis that money can procure. This may seem like a lot of weed in a bottle of liquor and you’d be absolutely correct. Each cocktail will have anywhere between fifty and a hundred mgs of decarbed THC, so they are certainly not for beginners. Don’t drink too many at one sitting least you get destroyed, they’re quite potent. Ask me. I know.
Ingredients:
1 oz. non-medicated heavy cream or whipping cream, lightly folded until thick but not whipped
1.5 oz. Cannabis infused Rhum Vieux Agricole
4 oz. Strong Black Coffee or Espresso or Turkish Cardamom Coffee
Scraping of fresh nutmeg
Angostura Bitters
Demerara Sugar to taste
Prep:
Preheat a sturdy mug with boiling water
Pour out the boiling water
Add the steaming hot coffee
Bartender style, pour the THC infused Rhum Vieux Agricole over the coffee, keep pouring…
Fold the heavy cream over the top
Dot with Angostura – for your gut health
Scrape some fresh nutmeg over the top
Sweeten to taste
Serve and prepare another for later… It’s wonderful iced. And yes, it will get you really stoned.
