I’m fortunate to have a photographic memory for tastes and scents. This helps me in mixology because I’m influenced not by fast food flavors, but ones on a global basis. You see, when one spends a good amount of time traveling and not eating in American hotels, you tend to learn something about flavor and how memory fits into the equation of how flavors work together.
If you want another lazy seltzer, flavor and memory are unimportant. So no amount of concentrate is going to make that drink palatable. But take a craft beverage, add a thoughtful amount of the best ingredients that money can buy, and combine them in a way that unlocks memories of the first time you tasted a given recipe? That is what makes the efforts of Iconic Tonics resonate with not only your taste buds but your dreams as well. And that is what a good beverage does. It offers you an alternative to industrialized experiences. I come from Craft Spirits and although I don’t drink hard alcohol any longer and haven’t in some time, I will say that the art of mixology is never forgotten, just examine the work of Jerry Thomas! You could say he is a great influence upon me. And another person, Beach Bum Berry, who influenced a generation of Tiki Bars and party people. I am deeply influenced by the rum lore of the Caribbean and the Beach Bum Berry classic named the Zombie Cocktail is one of my favorites in the repertoire of rum soaked classics. I on the other hand have reinvented the classic, with Cannabis instead of rum- because there is nothing elegant about a Sailor’s Hangover. And a THC infused Rum punch, without the rum? Essential. You don’t need it. You won’t miss the rum, I promise!
A thing of Rare Beauty.
Why use the best ingredients? I believe we have a social responsibility to eat simply, drink healthier, and enjoy life- without liquor. At Iconic Tonics we are uniquely geared to the traditional reinventions of the classics of mixology and we are also able to harness your wildest dreams in flavor… To make your dreams come true as well. Why?
Because we dream in flavor and sipping our unique craft beverages and the very special ones, the ones we consult upon are magical in many ways.
We can make your dreams come alive, one sip at a time.
The only thing holding you back is your imagination!
A Simple LYB, a garage rock n’ roll, yet sailor-influenced Rum Punch- without the Rum… But with THC. And you decide how much you want. I wouldn’t go over 25 mg per drink, but then again, that’s up to you. Cheers!
I use the Ardent to decarb my cannabis (no more burnt batches) and I recommend the Levo2 to infuse the simple syrup with a crazy amount of ouid or Delta 9.
Ingredients for five or six thirsty lost rock and roll stars… who have been too long at sea:
4 oz. Grilled Pineapple Juice- Slice pineapple into rounds and grill until marked, cool and juice
2 oz. Each: Freshly squeezed tangerine, mango, orange, lime, lemon, grapefruit and sour cherry juice
1 oz. Orgeat – almond flavoring
3 oz. Demerara Simple Syrup, infused with THC
Good ice that doesn’t taste like the fridge. *put large cube ice trays in double freezer bags, no…… it won’t be perfectly clear ice, but then again it won’t taste like last week’s garlic pasta lurking in the back of the fridge…*
Angostura Bitters
Prep:
Combine all juices in a Boston Shaker with the orgeat (fill the shaker ¾ of ice)
Shake darned hard for fifteen or so seconds
Double Strain into a couple old fashioned glasses with a couple of your fancy ice cubes
Garnish with grilled pineapple spears
Dot with Angostura and serve.
How much THC? That is up to you, my friends. Don’t destroy yourself!
Warren Bobrow is a master mixologist and author of 6 beverage books on cannabis cocktails, mocktails, and tonics. He is also the CEO & Co-Founder of Klaus – Ready-to-drink functionally-infused cocktails. With extensive expertise and creativity, Warren brings valuable insight and creativity to our team and clients at Harmony Craft Beverages. If you’re interested in working with Warren on your next beverage innovation, reach out to Harmony Craft Beverages today!
Snoop Dogg’s beverage empire is expanding. The legendary rapper and entrepreneur announced a strategic investment and partnership with Harmony Craft Beverages today that brings along both his existing range of THC-infused beverages – Death Row Records Do It Fluid and Dogg Lbs Doggy Spritz – and his considerable cultural cache.
The deal creates a new company, Iconic TonicsIconic Tonics, that folds in both Snoop’s brands launched. in December 2023: the carbonated four-SKU line Do It Fluid in 12 oz. cans, and Dogg Lbs Doggy Spritz. Those will be integrated into Harmony’s existing functional portfolio, which includes Klaus, Malus, Love Yer Brain, and Lift.
“We’ve known [Snoop and his team] for a long time, and really this gives a much broader, and I would say, deeper exposure for Snoop in the functional beverage space,” said Evan Eneman, Co-founder and CEO of Iconic Tonics.
“I’ve always been about innovation, and functional beverages are the next frontier,” said Snoop Dogg in a press statement. “People want drinks that do more than just taste good – they want benefits, and they want choices. Harmony Craft Beverages has been pioneering this movement, and together now as Iconic Tonics, we’re bringing something fresh to the table. This is more than a brand – it’s a lifestyle.”
Beyond his personal expertise in all things cannabis, Snoop’s arrival brings “more mainstream viability” to the emerging THC drinks category, said Eneman. Harmony’s portfolio reflects that approach: partners like acclaimed mixologist Warren Bobrow (with Klaus) and Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips (Love Yer Brain) have unique reach with different audiences and use occasions, all under the auspices of functionality.
“Snoop is really endemic in culture. Wayne is deeply endemic in creativity and art. And so these are people that represent I would say more movements and cultural shifts,” said Eneman. “Them together, plus someone like Warren, it just brings a lot of these, you know, endemic understanding and global influence together.”
Snoop’s prowess as a businessman and marketer can come at a cost; some recent CPG ventures, including an RTD coffee and an ambitious cereal brand now in litigation, fizzled quickly, while his other successful projects (Gin and Juice, Still G.I.N.) put more demands on his time. Eneman described Snoop’s participation as a “50-50 partner” in Iconic Tonics, working across the full portfolio, and noted the rapper “will be active in the ways that he can incorporate [the brand] into what he’s doing going forward.
The products themselves are available mainly both online (DoorDash) and in stores like Total Wine & More and Woodman’s Markets.
“We want to reach consumers in a way that they’re used to, having optionality based on occasion or day part or experience they’re looking for. That’s how we’ve built our brands. That’s how we built our experiences,” said Eneman. “And it’s early for us, but we’re seeing that bearing out in the ways that consumers are reacting.”
I haven’t presented a proper gift-giving list in a few years, maybe because every day is a gift with much fine cannabis from my travels at my disposal. Or, more accurately, I just didn’t get around to it until now.
I like to give cannabis to others, just because it was a really long time- in my life at least, that I went without great cannabis; most of it wasn’t much of anything worth smoking at all. That was during a particularly difficult period here in New Jersey before establishing myself in the cannabis industry. The only time I could get really good weed was when I traveled outside of my home state, up to Maine or Massachusetts, or out west. Unfortunately, it’s still that way. I’ve yearned for great cannabis from NJ, but it’s going to be a lot longer until curing becomes an art instead of just a science and a profit-based industry.
This is just my opinion. Sorry to be so harsh.
Here is my list for gift-giving any time during the year. Because you deserve what I’ve been smoking (and eating!)
A Golden State; California. If you don’t know about it, then the first thing I’d want to do is hop on an airplane and get yourself out to Redding, California. The cannabis grown here is world-class, and the water is pristine. I dig it in every way, especially the attention to detail in the grow rooms. Clean doesn’t even start to teach what goes on and what doesn’t go on. First of all, the water. Pure and clean from Mt. Shasta. Nothing is added. I think that says it all. Fresh, exceptional, non-manipulated, gorgeous cannabis grown with love and what I say is extreme hands-on attention. What A Golden State has achieved is ultra-fine smoke, a unique and deeply pleasurable journey.
Verdes; New Mexico. Not many have been to the Land of Enchantment, New Mexico, and that’s too bad because I truly believe that some of the finest cannabis in the land is grown in this magical place. The vertically integrated dispensary named Verdes is doing something I can only say is diverse and gorgeous. I’ve tasted my way through many of their offerings, and I cannot find anything that is cured or dried out. It’s tough to say when the humidity hovers around 5% or less for most of the year. Whatever their secrets are, their craft cannabis speaks for itself. I’m seriously impressed by their carefully nurtured/indoor-grown expressions—especially the Soap. I still have a couple of nugs from my last trip out to NM. Great work.
Dutch Bliss frozen custard; New Mexico. This is the finest live hash rosin frozen custard that I’ve ever tasted. Terpene forward, each bite is a revelation of excitement. It’s like stepping into a Belgian ice cream shop with high butterfat content delicacies lighting up the room with every elegant scoop. I’m thrilled to share the lush potent flavors like the “Klaus” Mezzrole collaboration (I created the recipe) to the richly textured European style chocolate and vanilla offerings built by cannabis alchemist and master flavorist, Josh Hurwitz.
Baked Chicken Farms; New Mexico. No, they don’t bake chicken there, but the history of this venerable place supersedes any cannabis grow that I’ve seen in New Mexico. Because it actually was a nearly self-sustaining chicken farm for dozens o! The entire place is huge. I’m a massive fan of their carefully tended flowers, primarily because the quality of their indoor-grown cannabis is par with the best in the land. And they have the consensus to prove it. But don’t let the awards say it all because the flowers themselves take you to a place of quality, not just commerce. Although commerce is essential, the quality of the end result is stunningly beautiful and really gets me “baked.” I especially love their Doobie Ounce Pack, which stuffs twenty-eight perfectly formed one-gram joints into a tiny nitrogen-filled can. No bouquet at all escapes the can, making it extremely travel-friendly. Listen up, Texans! And which strain excites me? Well, I haven’t tasted through their entire lineup yet, but the Cromagnon Man gave me the impetus to clean my entire house and mow all the lawns in the snow. Motivation indeed! Their Cock-Tails *Cannabis infused libations* are lush and pertinent. A touch on the sweeter side, their flavors will entice and charm the inquiring imbiber who likes something both unusual and delectable. Baked Chicken Farms isn’t just making scrambled eggs! They are writing an entirely new chapter in the annals of ultra-quality cannabis memories.
Carver Family Farm; New Mexico. Located in a nondescript office park— maybe that’s the idea. Carver Family Farm is turning out exceptional work. Using no-till, natural soil, hand trimmed and organically grown. Their hand-groomed cannabis doesn’t resemble any “indoor” cannabis that I’ve ever savored… because they don’t grow in coir, nor hydroponically in the fluid. What they do is utilize their square footage to grow exceptional cannabis that speaks of the outdoors with the passion of an indoor grow. And you’d never imagine that world-class cannabis is being grown and sold in an office park! Triangle Kush charms!
Royal Road; New Mexico. Founded and operated by Corrina Miramontes, this ultra-tuned-in “healing space” is my idea of deep inner change. I want to spend my time learning about the finest outdoor (and some well-chosen indoor) grown cannabis in the state of New Mexico and I want to enlighten myself about the plant and her magical healing powers. There is an art gallery; murals on the outside walls that draw you in. And a most marvelous outdoor space is out back. Here is a unique place meant to chill the soul and educate the mind. Under the stars, surrounded by healing spirits. As many dispensaries as there are in New Mexico, this one really resonated with me. Maybe it’s the owner. Fierce, intellectual, and generous with her time, Corrina offers something that most dispensaries don’t offer. And that in itself is a comforting sense of place in the universe.
The Grower Circle. The first time I went to New Mexico, I was introduced to a craft grower named The Grower Circle. I am a big fan of their efforts, and I wish I had more time to dig deeply into their terroir-driven offerings. Their Raw OG and Cosa Nostra stick out in my memory as juicy, not too sweet, and deeply stony—just the place I want to be if given the opportunity again.
Fourteen Counties. Yes, they’re doing Temple Ball Hash in Massachusetts and if you’re ever in this state, I deeply recommend their traditional and more modern offerings. Frenchy would be proud of their efforts in the lexicon of temple ball hash. I’m a huge fan of what they have achieved.
Made in Xiaolin Cannagars. Founded in Colorado and now available in New York State, the craft work that Chris Louie has attained through his exceptional attention to detail and the acquisition of the finest flowers and adjuncts make for an ultra-luxury experience. The quality of workmanship is without compare. Details like the gold leaf and 100-dollar bill rice paper make for a very impressive compliment. But what’s inside is the culmination of decades of blood, sweat, and tears. Success in small ways. Quality over quantity. Made in Xiaolin!
The sun is shining, flowers are blooming, and trees are back to swishing their leaves in the wind. It is official: summer is on the way. This means it’s time to fire up the grill and host cherished friends and family. For some, that means blending up some margs, and others may pull out the cannabis drinks.
The easiest way to infuse a gathering is to grab some weed seltzers and call it a day, but some may want to shake up their own craft cocktail for the occasion. There are cannabis bartending bibles available, complete with drink recipes and other valuable knowledge, but there’s also the possibility of creating something new.
Perhaps inspiration is growing in the herb garden this time of year or a luscious fruit at the farmer’s market tempting you to blend new flavors. Whatever the inspiration, maybe it’s time to run with it. Those who are new to mixing up a THC cocktail may be looking around for advice. Well, it’s right here.
Cannabis drink mixing advice from master mixologists
There’s no one better to give advice to newbie cannabis mixologists than the experts. Jamie Evans has authored multiple cannabis drinks cookbooks and contributed to acclaimed food, cannabis, and beverage publications. As for advice for first-timers, she’s all about leaning into the flavor.
“When crafting cannabis mocktails and other infused drinks at home, there’s bound to be an herbaceous taste,” Evans said to GreenState. “Knowing this, a tip that I like to recommend is to not mask the flavor of cannabis but complement it instead. One of the best ways to do this is by incorporating terpene-inspired ingredients often found in cannabis’s aroma and flavor profiles.”
Jamie Evans // Photo by Monica Lo
Over the years, many edible brands and infusion recipes have worked to hide the weed flavor as if it were off-putting. Evans and many others in the weed community have shifted into a mindset that the many smells and flavors of weed are a gift rather than a curse. Flavor is of the utmost importance, but so is dosing.
Angel Belman is the beverage director of Original Ninfa’s, a historic Texas bar and restaurant that recently added the infused Tranquilita Margarita to its menu. He has learned some THC dosing lessons as he figures out how to merge 20 years of bartending experience with cannabis mixology.
“My best advice is to start with a low dose and to go slow. Pace yourself, observe how you feel, and take note as you increase consumption to have a general understanding of the guest experience while remembering every person’s tolerance is unique,” Belman said.
Angel Belman // Photo by Becca Wright
People often want to enjoy one or two cocktails on a night out, but if it’s dosed high, that’s probably not happening. This is why Warren Bobrow, co-founder of Klaus beverages, regrets the doses in his original recipes in Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails, and Tonics, the first cannabis bartender bible. He echoed Belman’s advice.
“Start slow. Don’t destroy your friends. Don’t be like me. I took too much cannabis in each drink; they can catch up on you,” Bobrow shared in a brief email exchange.
The master mixologist has a point: dosing is the most important aspect of cannabis drinks. But once that’s figured out, the flavor is key.
Warren Bobrow
Best flavors for weed drinks
Leaning into the herbaceous quality of the plant is preferred over masking it with sweetness or robust flavor notes. This requires an understanding of the terpenes and compounds in the product infusing the drinks. Learning about these aspects of the flower, syrup, tincture, or other weed product can help the novice bartender key into the flavors best paired with their drink recipe.
Once the terps are clocked, it’s time to plan the other components of the bev. Evans shared her favorite weed-friendly flavors in mocktail recipes.
“Some of the best ingredients include fresh citrus juice, tropical fruits, fresh berries, fresh melon juice, mint, lavender, cinnamon, black pepper, mixed herbs, fresh dill, and sometimes ingredients with savory, earthy flavors. All of these ingredients will blend effortlessly with cannabis flavors.”
Novice bartenders looking to get creative may want to start with a classic drink recipe and riff off of that. Earthy flavors are excellent in a bloody mary, and sweet strains would taste divine in a spritzer.
Jake Wall, chief innovation officer of Maison Bloom, recommends finding recipe inspiration in the wide world of gin. The dynamic liquor can complement many classic cocktail flavors and inventive new creations, much like weed. Gin drinks commonly use a wide range of ingredients from lavender to orange peel, vanilla pods to cucumber.
“Gin, similar to cannabis, is largely informed by the similar aromatic and taste-forward compounds that, in our flower-powered world, is where terpenes step in. Whether it is a bramble or a take on a gimlet and everything in between, look to the world of historic and creative gin-based recipes and hack them with all the best plant magic you can. You can thank me later,” Wall said.
Jake Wall
Cannabis mixology is all about balance
Finding a recipe that uses a liquor that plays into the complex flavors of various cannabis products makes it simple to plug cannabis in place of the liquor without much flavor adjustment. However not every weed drink is going to be a play on a gin drink, and that’s where balancing comes in.
The last piece of the puzzle is the final step to balance the flavor. The infusion method may come into play here. At Ninfa’s Belman noticed the oil tincture required a sweetener like an agave because it added bitterness to the drink.
Evans also pointed out that the best start materials deliver the clearest, fresh flavor.
“Quality cannabis mocktails and cocktails begin with quality cannabis—pay close attention to expiration dates to best gauge freshness,” she said.“If the packaging dates are old, chances are the terpenes have diminished, and the phytocannabinoids have oxidized, which is not ideal when preparing cannabis infusions at home (tinctures, simple syrup, bitters). Choose the freshest products for the best outcome.”
And above all else, follow Evans’s golden rule: “Don’t mask the flavor of cannabis, complement it.”
My soundtrack for this very short journey was some inspirational music for me, attached below. It followed me throughout the trip as part of the framework for my writing these observations. So, indulge me with a listen to my friend DF Tram while you read my words.
I find that his imaginative explorations work with my visual and emotional interpretations of that elongated day and a half in Redding, California. This music influences the sky and my dreams, and that looming, snow-covered mountain is where the water used to nurture the plants really comes from. https://canopyofstars.bandcamp.com/album/the-upsweep
The Spiritual Guides
Nishant Reddy and his crucial EO, Leslie… took care of everything just perfectly as I, too, worked as an EO for decades, and I understand the pressure. It’s hard work, and she does it with alacrity and deep humility. Everything was perfect in my vision. From the sounds of the birds outside my hotel room balcony (I left deep/snowy winter in NJ, so having my door open and letting in the sound of the birds gently waking me after a long flight from NJ…To the first wake and bake of the day, inhaling a micro joint of A Golden State with the freshness of the mountain air surrounding my head. Those little joints of Woods — appropriate somehow being up in the mountain forest — this is what I enjoyed first thing in the morning — a pleasure and an honor. Then, a real mountain breakfast with far too much handcrafted food; each glimpse around me was of freight trains going by (lots of trains) and the metaphor for my journey, the omnipresent snow-covered mountains that encircle this magical place. They are the reason why I am here. The water that melts down off Mt. Shasta is life-giving! It’s amazing! I experienced much visually during my visit, both inward and outward. Smoking cannabis of this quality from A Golden State, at their elevation, really was a pleasure. My interactions with the terroir were punctuated by the ring of snow-covered mountains spilling their visual secrets whenever you gazed up.
Thank you for allowing me glimpses of your world. It was just perfect.
A Golden State… Wow, what you have achieved here is unlike anything I’ve seen before, and I get around the world. Is there a term for ultra-craft? I hope so because of what “Bear” and Nishant have achieved with a cast of artists — all striving for a canopy of dreams… It’s striking for me to view the inner vista. The Aboriginal people call it the Dreamtime. When I’m around thriving plants, the energy from these creations fills my brain for lucid dreaming later on — the scent, the visuals, the feel, the conversation. It was a university course, condensed down to a couple of hours. I could have spent all day asking questions with just observations. Lighting from below, the side, on top, hands giving energy and taking the experience to another level. Like the great masters of art, cannabis of this complexity is not manipulated. There is a purity that oozes off each densely textured inhalation.
The Resin
It was that sticky stuff, and it was all over my fingers and surrounding my head. I couldn’t even focus my Leica; the lens was fogged up anyway from the room’s inner rainforest terroir (forest floor and almost visible droplets of humidity experiment), nor my iPhone, because my beforementioned fingertips were stuck together from that juicy bud of Lemon Creamsicle smeared all over the lens. The plethora of dazzling LED-lit plants that surrounded me was gluing up my nostrils with their perfumes and my glove-covered fingers with their gummy juices. The air hung weightily in my head and fingers, coated with a certain lifegiving sap. Pan Asian spices like cardamom and bursts of Thai Chilies stung the inside of my nose. The rainforest-like humidity made my usually comfortable wool socks dripping sweat buckets. As I walked around each plant, drinking in her energy, I realized that it wasn’t unpleasant; in fact, I wanted to spend the rest of the day in there, like in a friendly steam room located inside a country club. In this case, the rooms filled with thirsty bushes of perfectly hand-tended flowers. Just gazing at each happy plant and marveling at the sticky stuff that was suspended in each breath, the aromas literally coating my glasses with ebullient plant juices.
It was ironic, but as I was searching for a way to keep my fingers and everything else from sticking together, my spirit guide on the personal tour recommended that I “run my fingers through my hair.” Hmmmm. Why, I wondered. As if on cue, the explanation given to me was perfectly simple. The oils in our hair dissolve the cannabis resin nearly immediately. Just one more thing I learned about the plant. No soap and water were needed, and that effusive perfume of their juicy strains enveloped my airspace in her sweet/gassy aromatics of the opulent cannabis varietals.
I want to wear the myriad of her olfactory-pleasing perfumes as my cologne all day long.
The Grow
Each room is consistently tended to, from the top down to the absolute bottom up. The air smells clean, and everything gleams like the first day the system was installed. Each grow room is different, with micro-experiments held right within their more traditional approaches. Metrics are essential, with vast amounts of data brought into the grows. Each room is a consistent experience in these metrics as they reference and compare certain observations. Constantly day in and day out, hour by hour, pressure, humidity, temperature, light, dark, watering, feeding, testing, and retesting, hand watering, weighing, spoken kindly to, I think it matters…. I’d hoped to have music played for the plants. I’m sure they’d enjoy some of the Upsweep.
In the end, it’s all about her, the plant. She is carefully hand-tended, and it is grueling, nonstop work. She rewards this completely mind-numbing activity by offering a deeply Zen experience that requires profound patience. What it really requires is a sense of swiftness because there are thousands of plants to tend to. Each plant is essential and equally important to life itself.
The Mantra
Starting at the bottom is not working as a plant-touching person at A Golden State; there are many steps to take before the plant becomes the primary focus. It really becomes an intonation or a mindful activity in the grand sense of the word because there is always something to do in the care of the facility and the cleanliness of everything within. Perhaps the explanation for this, my explanation, lies in the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, which should be in their welcome new employee kits, as this book might help in the nature of their work. I’ve been to grows all over and this was the first one that I wanted to hook up an electrical current reader to the plant and listen to the sound of the good energy that flows through each flower. Aside from the technical stuff, this is an organic plant that just feels good to be around. If the entire universe was in a microcosm of cannabis scent, each sniff was coating the inside of my nose and filling my head with all sorts of canna-driven possibilities.
I couldn’t wait to taste what was waiting for me later back in my jacket pocket. A Golden State grows some of the finest cannabis I have ever savored. True, I am well-traveled and have enjoyed many a fine grower’s special home stash… Without factoring in the basic premise that I couldn’t possibly have tried everything, of course, in the fifty years I’ve appreciated the plant. What A Golden State does is profoundly unique due to the relentless determination exemplified by every team member from the bottom up — from the flower trimmers to the master growers. They clearly love what they do, and it shows in every essential task, from vacuuming out an entire room and breaking down each part of the air-conditioning to the dehumidification units to the combination of lights to their very placement, vertically, horizontally, and from above and below. It’s all an encyclopedia of the plant and how to do better by her.
My observation? This is a deeply crafted project. Sure, they want to be perfectly efficient, but patience is absolutely a virtue. Their positive methods are many, and each experiment is meant to emulate something greater than it was prior. How else do you learn? And my favorite strain? Empanadas Diez… the sense of elation is paramount to me. I get things done.
The effort that goes into every 1/8th of an ounce glass jar from A Golden State is not just physical; it’s a deeply emotional experience. Each cultivar is an involvement in the anti-stoner experience. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I got plenty “high.” But cannabis, on this level, does more for me than just being obliterated. It opens my mind and forces me to think about what I’ve been experiencing in life. My thinking offers a certain clarity and intellectualism. I don’t feel like I’m going to be sleeping; I want to create beautiful articles.
A Golden State’s THC levels are lower than most, and that’s a really good thing. I’m on the record, and I want to reiterate again that ultra-high numbers from THC cannabis do not help me from a medical standpoint. They just don’t reduce my eye pressure. It doesn’t do anything but give me a headache; it’s no fun when using medical cannabis for a specific purpose. What the strain named Empanadas Diez offers is just right for me. A coating on the backside of my brain. Lagniappe is my description. A little something extra.
What A Golden State has achieved through its commitment to the uncompromising equilibrium of craft cannabis to commerce in the macro sense is exemplified in its purely noble approach to the plant. What I initially envisioned as something more mechanical in nature was immediately dispelled by the fact that this ultra-craft cannabis grow exists because of exemplary reasoning. The details and attention shown to every plant in the rooms are utterly mind-blowing.
Sure, you can robotically mechanize a cannabis grow; I’ve seen it and wondered how the plant likes being manipulated in this way. But why would you when every plant in every room at A Golden State is loved, every single day, around the clock? Day in, day out. It’s their life work.
If they were glass blowers, I’d be watching them hand-pull fragile Murano glass. It’s that level of expertise without fail because they are dealing with extremely expensive materials. Cohesive, behavioral, consistent perfection in everything they do in the life-cycle of the plant, from popping seeds to packaging the flowers, it’s all done right here.
If you can’t do the best, don’t do it at all. At A Golden State, they have achieved something very distinctive through what appears to be an intense, laborious series of mind-numbing exertions. Tending their vast myriad of miniature and fragile seedlings right down to the elegant, finished product, all by hand, is arduous work taken on with a profound desire and even empathy. Their work is mindful, and their jobs can be deeply fulfilling on an innate level. Something that craft cannabis allows us to experience that special feeling I felt.
What A Golden State has achieved in craft cannabis is very different from the corporate cannabis machine, which unfortunately shows very little finesse, so we won’t be discussing that genre!
The art of craft cannabis shows in everything they do, from their pastel “California Desert” hue packaging in the slender little tins containing tiny hand-filled joints to their handsome glass vessels sitting in tiny cutouts inside their thoughtfully designed packages. Each is devised to eliminate any lateral or vertical motion that may damage the unsullied, hand-trimmed flowers. And the end result? That’s for you to experience.
Seek out A Golden State and see what their eloquent purpose brings to you. I think it is very special, rare, pleasurable, and intensely transcendent.
Their Brand New Redding California Dispensary
Located just around the corner from the Redding Airport is their brand new flagship dispensary/grow. You’ll need to see what they have accomplished; it’s essential to your gourmet cannabis edification.
They’d love to see you at the dispensary, and the warmth that is emulated in the room is not just something you can see. It’s something you feel inside. Rest your legs awhile on the sumptuous couches and savor the stylish architecture of the building. Enjoy the view of the fully scaled cannabis grow situated just behind large windows facing the equally large windows fronting their always-changing streetscape in a very safe area of town.
I’ve never been in a facility anywhere in the world that looks as visually beautiful as this facility. It’s organic in style and peacefully designed, yet vividly lit from the inside. A blazing series of LED lighting arrays. They are immediately punctuating your entire visual experience. The plants growing behind you are oozing with green, purple, orange, and white flowers. Others, in their trimmed state, are displayed in jewelry cases, set prominently on the broad, modern mountain-designed stone counters with roughhewn edges reminiscent of George Nakashima wood tables, yet fabricated by local stones- are interactive and demand your touch. Shopping is encouraged, or just let the friendly and deeply competent budtenders personally guide your canna-centric experience with gentleness. Their verbal anecdotes and canna-vision are pleasant and non-sales pushy. That get ’em in and out in five minutes or fewer minutes just doesn’t exist here. You are encouraged to come as you are and enjoy the views, either outside or inside. I loved both because I’d never experienced a dispensary with a full-sized grow just behind. Sure, I’ve been to Colorado and Oregon, where there were micro-grows of a couple of plants in the shops. But this was a completely full-scale operation, with no messing around with it just for show grow. The space is pristine; they are always cleaning and hand-tending to the plant. This is what is always going on in the background. The plant is what is important here, with the visionary plants from A Golden State guiding my dreams.
The store itself is visually more akin to a high-end NYC design shop, reminiscent of the Museum of Modern Art store in Soho. A Golden State has achieved another arrow in its quiver with its non-obtrusive design. The plant in her glory is presented in large glass cases. The lighting is soft, and the color palate is earthy and calming. The entire length of the dispensary is punctuated by large glass windows facing an LED-bathed professional grow.
An experience in architecture, light, the giant windows gazing into another dimension. A fully in action, craft cannabis grow. Very impressive indeed.
May I have another twenty minutes?
Thank you to Nishant Reddy, who helped me go further emotionally on this trip than I thought possible at this time of my life. Nishant redefined my enlightenment by offering something tangible in a manner I’d never experienced before. Remarkably, I was open to being taught because I truly know nothing about this purely craft side of the cannabis business, and each visit to A Golden State going forward is with full mindfulness and thirst for future knowledge.
Arecent visit to the sparkling new cannabis dispensary reveals something different in New Jersey. What sets Garden State Botanicals apart from its peers is Sun Grown Cannabis, which is propagated right here in New Jersey.
The other day, I visited Garden State Botanicals and saw a well-designed dispensary with a twist. That twist would lead me to the fine flowers grown by Brute’s Roots in South Jersey. Finally, someone is growing cannabis with a deeper meaning. Sun grown flower just tastes differently. Sure, it has less THC than many of the other name brands on the market, and that is just the charm. You might not know, but many of us who utilize cannabis for medical reasons find that higher THC cannabis is not as viable as low THC cannabis in the treatment and alleviation of certain ills, such as my eyes. High THC gives me a headache and raises my eye pressure. Lower THC, like the strains grown by Brute’s Roots offers the healing I require- and the drive down to North Brunswick is not entirely too far from my house.
Sam, Warren, and Taleia
For the good stuff- I’ll travel far and wide to attain the kind. Thank you to Garden State Botanicals for carrying Brute’s Roots. What a nice surprise! Real Sun Grown Cannabis in New Jersey? Yes! More to follow in this regard, with a possible road trip in the coming weeks.
Garden State Botanicals is super easy to get to. I don’t know why my GPS didn’t take me to Rutgers, then down 18, but no matter… They are really easy to find from all over central New Jersey. They are right next door to a Dunkin and a Baskin Robbins, so you cannot miss it from the street. There is plenty of dedicated parking as well, so no worries there. And for medical folks like me, you can show up at 10:00 and have the whole store basically to yourself. That kind of service is rare in any state. And what kind budtenders!
Garden State Botanicals
They do have a friendly and knowledgeable staff, as I found out myself. Their menu is super easy to read, and there is even a terpene-scenting bar for those who might want to deepen their intellectual cannabis experience. A well-chosen selection of cannabis accessories, hand-crafted pipes, glass bongs, and rolling papers- including their new hemp blunt wrappers- fills out the room with their comfortable seating area and real plants (unfortunately not cannabis ones), giving off healing energy to the gleaming, sun-filled room. For a strip mall pad, this is a very inviting space that is modern, yet not cold in any way; it’s warm and inviting. A plus again for the medical community and the non-stoner, read “older” clientele, you have dedicated hours, and the dispensary is also fully recreational- but most importantly is time for medical patients to shop without the crush of other recreational customers. It’s a nice touch. And appreciated by us older folk.
Did I say that the store is really easy to get to? If you are over 21 and are at nearby Rutgers- you’re in like Flint!
I wish them the very best and thank you for the generous swag from your brimming shelves and larder.
To say that I’m a fan of Lex Corwin’s success is a huge understatement. From the very moment that I met Lex out in Los Angeles, I knew that this was a man who is following his own dreams. And what vivid dreams they are. From Connecticut to La La, the land of dreams! And what a trajectory he has achieved. While others with formidable provenance have crashed and burned, Lex continues to open new markets and persevere in his chosen art. The art of gorgeous cannabis that smokes just like his personality. Deeply ebullient!
When Lex got into weed it was still illegal in the East coast. I know, because I’m a tad older and I’ve struggled with this illegality since the early 1970’s. Not only was cannabis illegal, but it was and still is, deeply stigmatized by the old school who run things in the suburbs. Lex has transcended this stigma by developing his own path in life, away from this stifling environment of suburban suburbia. In the vividly glowing sunshine of California and now New Mexico, Lex is achieving success that he probably envisioned in “High” School and now it’s the thing that drives his life. Gourmet Cannabis that tells a deeper story. A story of personal success, individual entrepreneurship, and intricate passion. Cheers! WB.
Warren Bobrow: It’s been a while since we’ve come across each other professionally. Hope all has been well. From the looks of it, your company is growing exponentially. That’s good! Always proud of your success, being an East Coast person. What have you been working on? I’ve always been a fan of your flower; how do you maintain your demand for excellence?
Lex Corwin: Always a pleasure Warren. We were due for a catch-up! We have been busy! We are working on a ton of exciting projects – this week we launched in New Mexico (our fifth market) and solidified our partner for our launch in NY. Sabrina, my coo, and I are also working on bringing an edible to market in CA. Exciting but challenging times. Besides that, we are working on a few other states – Missouri, Montana, and Mississippi. While of course continuing to expand and improve our farm and products in the ever-changing CA marketplace.
WB: Please tell me about your new project in New Mexico. I love the cannabis there, btw. I’m a huge Albuquerque cannabis fan. I believe there is real benefit in growing cannabis in natural soil, at altitudes over six thousand feet. And the cannabis tastes so good in this zero-humidity environment! What are you looking for in your pheno hunts to make your New Mexico flowers the best you know? Any pro tips for my readers?
LC: We are so pleased to finally launch in New Mexico. It’s been a wild ride! We partnered with our Oklahoma partners, Stashhouse Distro, to bring the brand to NM in our first revenue-sharing deal. We are excited about this deal structure because it gives us a lot more control over the products we bring to market and our supply chain in general. We know exactly what is coming to market and when, rather than our prior structure of a purely licensing deal where we had little visibility into the products going to market. I agree the flower is fantastic in NM and there are some really talented growers based there. In terms of our pheno hunt – we stuck with what we know – strains that are bright, fruity, sour, and delicious. We have a formula we like to follow in CA and all our states and didn’t want to deviate from the genetics we knew people loved and expected from us.
WB: What are your six-and twelve-month goals for Stone Road in New Mexico?
LC: We really hit the ground running in NM – considering this is our fifth market we knew exactly how to approach this launch. In other states, it took us 2-3 months to get product to the market whereas in NM we had fresh products hitting the shelf in less than a month after our last packaging components arrived. Record time for us! So, in six months we’d love to be in 50 stores considering our supply chain is fairly mature and developed. I think we can handle it. And then in 12 months we’d love to be in over 100 stores. A large number indeed – but with our fantastic partners I believe this is attainable.
WB: Do you have a favorite city in New Mexico? Maybe a favorite restaurant? Where? Food type?
LC: I love Santa Fe. It’s so special. It’s so spiritual and just drop-dead stunning. The food is also amazing and the locals warm and friendly. Fun fact: it’s also the oldest capital city in the US. My aunt lived there for 9 years so I was lucky enough to visit a few times. We had a great time visiting all the local galleries and walking the trails by the river. We had a number of sensational meals, but I vividly remember Arroyo Vino. They have a large garden on site, so the produce is top-notch. Plus, the hospitality was so warm and welcoming – I look forward to going back!
WB: I know this is a broad reaching question, but what is your passion?
LC: My passion is finding joy in life. I love my job, surfing, and just hanging out with friends and family. In this tumultuous industry – finding and holding joy is extremely important. While I work pretty much 24/7, I always find time to take trips and explore the world. I figure as long as my job is crazy stressful, I might as well enjoy the journey!!
Tasting Notes for a pre-roll joint from Stone Road in California
Birthday Cake and THCA Diamonds and Hash
Nose: Tangles of tangy/sour oven roasted fruit lead into the aroma of freshly sliced, California fruit salad, laden with citrus zest and sea salt slicked shells. Crushed minerals in the nose bring the anticipated results, laughter ensues and the deeper experience of hash and the rush from the THCA Diamonds make this not your usual pre-rolled joint. It is a thing of rare beauty.
Mouthfeel: Brown Butter, sizzling hazelnuts, and crunchy French Toast soldiers dripping in steaming hot dark maple syrup. Truly patient curing at work here, no coughing at all!
Stone: This is not your beginner’s cannabis, so plan accordingly. You can smoke the entire joint or share it with friends- it’s up to you. The indulgence of smoking a one gram joint alone, by yourself…., well that is best left to the studied professionals. Cannabis as elegant and carefully nurtured as this brings pleasure and craft to the forefront and teaches us a little bit about the humility of Lex Corwin’s success in every meted puff.
It’s a Sativa by nature, but sometimes it feels more Indica-leaning- but certainly not like hybrids… It reminds me of the fine cannabis that I used to get in southern Maine back in the mid-1980s. This was when I first discovered really fine East Coast weed. I was reared on mostly West Coast flowers early on. It was that or the “whatever we could get,” which was nothing to write home about in the 1970s and 1980s. Unfortunately for me, whatever we could get still remains vivid in my imagination; it was that brick stuff, brown and pressed. But the strains that taught me something were grown by really passionate people who loved the plant.
Smoking these early craft strains was like nothing I had ever experienced before, especially since the overall quality level of the swag I’d get in NJ was pretty low in the 1970s! This was until someone introduced me to New York Sour Diesel at a nightclub in NYC circa the mid-1980s. Nothing else smelled like that. Like sour cream, lemon curd, European gasoline, and roasted orange zest. To this very day, every time I smell Sour Diesel or the myriad of incarnates, I’m blasted back to that first hit of Sour Diesel and my experience of that day, so many years ago.
The Veritas Cannabis Sour Diesel reminds me of the years of wandering on the streets in Boston if you knew the right people of course… It’s what we smoked during weekends up in the New Hampshire mountains or up on MDI in Maine. It was this famous, now infamous Sour Diesel—probably grown in Western Massachusetts—or otherwise it was Blueberry, from Southern Maine. And that was it. And I’m pretty happy of those years of smoking flowers that remind me now of those years because they were formative in my experience of smoking truly gourmet/craft cannabis. Something that would follow me forward. This is quite important to me.
Every time that I smoke Sour Diesel I’m brought back to a day before yesterday, and it forces me to re-examine the flavors that are known as the classics. What Veritas has achieved is remarkable in this regard. I would like to make mention of a couple things before I dive into the tasting notes. Cannabis that is grown and cured in high altitude and dry places like Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada…smoking this cannabis I’ve discovered a big something shocking. (At least to me…) I react far differently with cannabis grown and cured at sea level. It’s just a different experience. I’ve done some experimentation on this axiom, purchased cannabis that has been grown at 6000 ft plus and opened the container at nearly sea level with lots of New Jersey humidity filling the room, well it’s an entirely different experience. In a plus way, certainly not a minus way.
Something biophysical takes place by growing and curing in a carefully engineered humidity adjusted space, but what I experienced at sea level was something completely different. I’m very impressed by the flavor and terpenes I sensed at 650 ft. instead of 6500 ft. The cannabis almost reacted like cryo-cured flower, dried, perfectly cured, and aged in a fraction of the time, leaving an end result that is encapsulated in time and space. And when I smoked it at 650 ft. with lots of humidity? What I experience is bliss…
Veritas Fine Cannabis: Sour Diesel
Nose: It’s that baby skunk that’s lurking under your bedroom window. Someone stuck a couple gallons of buttermilk under there too, the sour-lactate rich liquid is stuck up inside my nose. Coming into view, snapping a canna-flower in my fingers, I smell crushed, juniper wood smoked chiles, a tangle of caramelized lemongrass shards and slivers of just snipped back yard chives, sauteed in brown butter. This is friendly cannabis that layers the inside of my head with softly folded whipped cream and unleashes the nasal driven memories that say springtime in Portland, Maine-1986. The overall nose is sometimes salty, sometimes sweet, sometimes sour, leading into the funky, but certainly- always memorable.
Mouthfeel: Veritas in Colorado has re-created the classic mouthfeel of Sour Diesel that some would say exemplify the early cannabis strains like New York Sour Diesel. Laden with European Petrol, Kerosene, and Baby Skunk, it’s unmistakable. Others say the classic Sour Diesel smells like citrus juices and cracked white pepper. I think it’s a combination of Pan-Asian spices, baby skunk and kerosine lamp oil. Citrus oils and the act of licking wet shells at the beach in the summer make your palate sing.
Veritas Sour Diesel unlocks my mind after inhalation. Remarkable in the depth of the experience. The mouthfeel is rich, savory, and full-bodied. After a couple small hits, I’m ready to experience the Veritas Sour Diesel in my Chill Bong- instead of my usual one hitter. The reason why I want to share the Chill Bong with you is the cooling experience that you feel when using this masterful piece of cannabis accoutrement.
Stone: This is not cannabis for the beginner. Of course, you have to start on the really strong stuff in your own way, but the pro-tip is take your time. There is no rush in cannabis, all those magical cultivars, so many that I forget which one is my favorite. I will say that Sour Diesel of Veritas Fine Cannabis is elegant and charming. It also gets me to another place with alacrity. There is no lack of amusement when imbibing Sour Diesel from Veritas Fine Cannabis. This is a Sativa that acts to help you get the job done. Scrub the tub, wash all the kitchen floors, take out the trash that is lurking in the hallway. There aren’t enough hours in the day because you’ll be full of steam to get all the things behind you and still other tasks to be hatched.
If Veritas Sour Diesel doesn’t take you to the next Bardo, I don’t know what will. Ok, you may not discover DF Tram on your own personal musical journey, but it did stimulate your inquisitive nature. This nug of perfectly cured cannabis is the Sour Diesel of my dreams. It takes me places that money can’t buy. Experience gleaned from emotion and being able to taste great cannabis like Veritas teaches me lessons not yet taught.
Mutual friends, (Down to Fade) introduced me to Big Ed by laying a “mylar” of his magical flowers on me over the fourth of July weekend. I opened the packet up and the terpenes burst into my workroom, filling the air with spices and smiles. This wasn’t your typical NYC/Washington Square Street weed; it was something much more sophisticated and exhilarating. Something that caught me unaware and therefore tasting notes were certainly in order. Some really fine smoke here which immediately took me down a rabbit-hole. Similar to Big Ed, my tolerance levels deserve a tolerance break, maybe someday down the line… But the sample of GottiGirl is definitely calling my name.
Tasting Notes for GottiGirl, by: Warren Bobrow
Appearance: Sitting in front of me, I have a little nug of the GottiGirl. The curing is gorgeous. Moist and compact, colorful, and tinged with fluorescent green splashes and orange threads. Crystalline in nature, the oils from the flower ooze to the surface in tightly wound rivulets of black to bright green. Diamonds of resin capture my imagination and bring me a knowing smile. Sure, I have a really high tolerance, but GottiGirl smashed that one out of the park. This is definitely cannabis for the well “seasoned” smoker. Something that you can smell all over the backyard, even on a windy day. Wow. Impressive.
Nose: Spicy notes of cardamom bitters, brown butter-soaked hoecakes, caramelized quince and snippets of tarragon scattered over the top.
Palate: This is perfectly geared to my wine conscious palate with richly textured smoke that fills my mouth with droplets of Barrell Bourbon, a quality, not quantity-like alacrity.
Finish/Stone: Because of the masterful curing, I’m not compelled to cough, not even a tiny bit, nice work. Part of this is the pipe that I selected for the tasting. A 503 Liberty glass piece that has special meaning for me because the former owner is now gone and it gives off beautiful, healing energy of times past. I think it is important to resonate with glass smoking implements. Especially ones with so much craftsmanship, just like the craft cannabis held within.
GottiGirl works her magic through the implementation of vitality and passion.
Tasting Notes for GaryPayton x FishScale
Nose: David Austin old garden roses, dew-drop,peach scented with beads of sweet cream and Jersey “late-summer” corn pudding. Crushed peppercorn, Incendiary Thai chilies, orange zest and brown butter come into view. Snipped field grass in the back of my throat. Good stuff!
Palate: Texture of freshly turned loam, sod grass, husked corn and droplets of kerosene and hot, synthetic motor oil. (In a good way). Each hit is met, not with resistance- but with calm acceptance of your fate. And that would be the desire to take another, and then another. Similar to the art of drinking a Ti Punch. A vexing amalgamation of Rum, Demerara sugar, and lime. It’s all in there. I taste it still. And I haven’t had a drink in five years.
Finish/Stone: There I go again, down the rabbit hole. With Instagram next to me on my phone, it’s only the pang of hunger that says get back to work and finish these tasting notes. The finish is gassy on the nose, and it jumps like a gazelle across my whatever is left of my mind like your expensive fishpond koi attempting an escape from that errant, hungry racoon. Cannabis like this is the good stuff and great fun for my mind. It stimulates intellectualism and makes me want to reinvent the lightbulb. Ok, maybe not the lightbulb, but it’s been a long time (ok, about a week) since I’ve had so much fun writing!
Thank you, Big Ed, for the inspiration.
Warren: Please tell me about your relationship with the plant? When did you discover it? Who were you with? What strain?
Big Ed: I first tried cannabis in 1991 I was 11years old at the time. Cannabis being smoke around me was normal. My older cousin who was 21 at the time let me hit his joint. Back then most of the cannabis around was Mexican brick weed.
Warren: When you smoke, what is your favorite strain? Why?
Big Ed: Right now, my favorite strain is GottiGirl. I like it because I hunted through about 60 seeds to find it, and from the first time I smoked it until now it still tastes the same and have the same effects. My tolerance levels are sky high, so I usually know by the second pull if it’s a keeper. It’s a cross of BlueGotti (by Backpack Boys) x SHORTiER by FrostyMcNosty & Miracop. I believe SHORTiER is a LemonTree and Gelato cross he said. It also tested at 29% THC and 5% terpenes. Any tips I can give is if you have the space, and you want to find the best of the best you’ll have to run the whole pack of seeds. Also, patience I have discarded more plants than I have kept looking for a unicorn.
Warren: What makes your product different, therefore better? Do you admire the work of others? Who?
Big Ed: I believe my love for the plant makes my product better. A lot of people get into cannabis for money. I actually love this plant and want to share my love of it with the world. The best way to do that is produce high quality flower. I also realized that fresh cannabis is the best cannabis. I had a grower tell me cannabis is not like wine it doesn’t get better with age, and then he gave me some flower that he just finished curing and that was my first time smoking fresh cannabis. It was a game changer I was like damn so this what I’ve been missing. So, my goal is to give people the freshest cannabis possible. I admire Frosty McNosty he’s a real down to earth guy, and he really looked out for me when he asked me to test some seeds for him. That how I found GottiGirl. I also want to give credit to Dave the head grower at LOWD in Portland Oregon. He was the one who told me about Cannabis not being like wine and most people smoke old cannabis. He also really lit the spark for me to grow. He told me to go for it if it was something I was serious about.
Warren: What are your six and twelve-month goals?
Big Ed: My 6-month goal is to finish up this pheno hunt I’m doing it’s another 60 seed hunt I’m doing for MiraCrop. I also have some crosses I made I’m growing out now. Hopefully I can find something nice for the 2024. Over the next 12 months I hope to expand my grow and network more with like-minded individuals who care about quality and care giving, over quantity and profit.
Warren: What is your passion?
Big Ed: Growing and sharing cannabis is my passion. The look on a person face when you give them some top-quality cannabis and their reaction is priceless. This plant been a part of my life for over 30 years. Cannabis was used to bring people together, and to this day it still does. I have met people I would probably have never talked to over a joint or bong rip. When I think of cannabis, I think of the hippies in the 60’s & 70’s and how they were preaching peace, love, & happiness. That’s what I want to bring back to the cannabis industry. I just recently left the teaching field after 15 years to concentrate on building my brand and growing cannabis. It was a tough decision, but I felt if I didn’t try, I would regret it. I also know when I lock in on something I’m focused and with my 30 years of smoking, selling, & just being around cannabis I could do it. I read my first High Times magazine when I was 12 my uncle had a subscription. I was enamored by the photos and the articles about cannabis. When I was in college that was when my taste buds and standards changed for the cannabis, I smoked. It was a lot more indoor flower available and Purple Haze, Sour Diesel, and Blueberry was heavy on the east coast early 2000’s it was costly but worth it. I started growing during the pandemic. I was working from home, and felt I had the time to do it. My state also was about to come online with decriminalizing marijuana. It was like the stars were getting aligned for me to grow. Once I started, I was hooked (on growing). I started off with one tent and now 8 tents later I still want more!!!
Photo with 503 Liberty Pipe: Warren Bobrow All other photos: Courtesy Big Ed
Just in time for high summer — and even higher temperatures — our Elite Beverage Tasting Squad, a cadre of cannabis consuming co-workers and friends, is at it again after forming last year to taste-test some pot-packed, palate-pleasing potables worthy of picking up and icing down.
This time, of the 18 drink options representing a dozen brands, the off-putting weediness of last year’s drinkable contenders was largely absent. And in the rare instances where it was noticeable this year, the taste of cannabis seemed to lean into — instead of detract from — the overall flavor profile of the beverage.
Another noticeable difference is this: the infused beverage market appears to be moving away from putting all its eggs in one fruity seltzer basket. There are still plenty of those out there. (For example, Wynk’s juicy mango and black cherry fizz seltzers were in the mix this season. They were announced as gold and bronze medal winners, respectively, in the water/sparking water/seltzer category at the inaugural L.A.-based High Spirits Awards.)
2. Klaus Mezzrole
“I’ve spent the better part of 30 years working towards this goal,” master mixologist Warren “the Cocktail Whisperer” Bobrow wrote in an email to The Times. He was referring to a curious, complex, cannabis-infused (and non-alcoholic) combination of ginger, lime and rice vinegar that launched last year. Bobrow added that the mix of flavors was “originally influenced by the classic Ti Punch from St. Barts. The addition of the ginger was to settle the gut when sailing a yacht in choppy seas.” I found Bobrow’s origin story amusing because the first thing I thought of when I first tasted this intriguing elixir was the thirst-quenching switchel (a.k.a. haymaker’s punch) that Vermont farmers used to swig out of gallon jugs in the heat of the summer hay fields. (Yes, I’m a former Vermonter kickin’ it in SoCal.)
Whatever the historical roots (some think the New England beverage actually may have originated in the Caribbean), one thing is clear: Bobrow’s three-decade quest has paid off handsomely. From the backpacking gnome on the swirly colored can (that’d be Klaus) to the artisanal ingredients inside (including Pickett’s ginger beer syrup and lime purée sourced from France), everything about this beverage was a hit with the backyard bunch.
“Yummy, tastes like ginger beer, love the burn,” wrote one of the testers. “It’s the only one that doesn’t taste like it needs something.” “Yummy ginger shot,” jotted another. “Reminds me of a good Moscow mule,” mused a third. “Woo-hoo! Spicy, silly, crazy,” noted a fourth. “Smells like Pine-Sol — but I’m allowed to drink it!”
“Cool can branding — my boy Klaus!” said one squadster, giving a shout-out to the tiny gnomic namesake before turning to its contents. “Extremely pointy, very unique taste … very specifically evoking the taste of melted Luigi’s Italian ice. I love the ginger taste. Burns/tingles my mouth.” Someone else simply scribbled a cartoon heart.
Although you should take our word for it, you don’t have to; two weeks after it landed in our Top 2 came word that Bobrow’s brew had scored a gold medal at the above-mentioned High Spirits Awards in the non-alcoholic, ready-to-drink cocktail category — along with our top pick below.
$48 per four-pack, 5 milligram THC and 16 calories per 8-ounce can. Additional information and ordering details (currently available via delivery-only in the L.A. area) at drinkklaus.com.
Click here for the entire article. https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2023-08-03/best-weed-drinks-for-summer
