Cocktail Whisperer
Drying Room ALEXANDER RAUBER, CALYX PEAK COMPANIES.
Recently I had the honor of interviewing Josh D., of the righteously world-famous Josh D. Farms for Forbes Vices. I didn’t realize at the time that Calyx Peak was the parent company of Josh D. Farms, but that’s already confusing me, so I’ll try to keep this deep-dive as crisp as possible!
Master mixologist Warren Bobrow, also known as the Cocktail Whisperer, has gained a cult following for his deceptively simple, elegant drink creations. Now, with his fourth book, he’s showing us how to get high while we drink, literally. But Warren’s take is more elevated than that. Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails, and Tonics: The Art of Spirited Drinks and Buzz-Worthy Libations breaks infusing your homemade drink with cannabis into an easy-to-follow science and includes 75 fresh recipes. You’ll also find non-alcoholic alternatives and a breakdown of drink-friendly strains and their flavor profiles, from piney, mimosa-friendly OG Kush to super-savory Trainwreck to surprisingly absinthe-ready Sour Diesel. Here, the expert and writer talks about the most special spirits, the best bars in the country and why cannabis and cocktails are a brilliant match.
A Luxe Cannagar PHOTO: @AJI.FILMS ON INSTAGRAM
The more I spend time around the top of the house of the cannabis industry, I’ve even found certain niche environments that are exploding in popularity. And it’s not because the market is being flooded with these specialty products, far from! Nor is this incredible device being saturated with popularity in the media driven culture. No one really knows about them, (cannagars). This is probably because they are not inexpensive. This world of the best and the far better than just the best is exemplified by secretive, inner city culture and the explosion of wealth within the rap music industry. There is no lack of money for the very best loud that money can buy. And that’s really the rub, in a land of the good good , there are not enough hand-crafted cannagars to go around. So pay attention! Read More Here At Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/warrenbobrow/2018/12/24/luxe-cannagars-demand-excellence/#4acfbe5e7fec
Made In Xiaolin WARREN BOBROW: IPHONE X
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 1.5-2.0 hours! The flower is equally as important with the strain listed, making up this cannagar as Electric Lemon G II flower and Electric Lemon G, Live Resin in the carefully chosen mix.
By Anisha DhimanDecember 20, 2018 Comments
New–Jersey-based Warren Bobrow, known as the Cocktail Whisperer in the hospitality industry, is a mixologist, bartender, contributing writer for Forbes and author of, among other books, Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails & Tonics: The Art of Spirited Drinks and Buzz-Worthy Libations. On Dec. 19, Bobrow was on his first visit to Toronto to talk about what he’s most passionate about: infused cocktails and mocktails.
“Drinking is part of our culture. What I have chosen to do with my book, Cannabis Cocktails… is make infused drinks approachable—by mixing together ingredients in a way that’s cohesive and not overwhelming,” says the 57-year-old author of six books.
The book, launched in 2015, drew scathing criticism. “It was termed bad and dangerous, but things have changed now. As per my knowledge, this is the first book and the only book on the topic—on THC-infused cocktails,” Bobrow says. “I wrote this book so that people could enjoy infused cocktails without stigma. When you smoke a joint on the streets, everybody knows your business and has a preconceived notion, right or wrong, on what it is that you are doing.”
The hospitality session, organized by the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS) Ontario and Lifford Cannabis Solutions, tastefully coincided with the holiday season and the regulations on cannabis edibles and concentrates to be announced by Health Canada.
To help highlight cannabis’ place in the hospitality industry, Lifford in partnership with CAPS Ontario, has been hosting one such session monthly since legalization. “Whether it’s restaurants or infused beverages, we are interested to see how the edibles regulations will change with the regulations set to be announced. At Lifford, we are a wine and spirits company, we are interested in the potential of creating infused beverages,” says Lisa Campbell, CEO of Lifford Cannabis Solutions.
Apart from a talk by Bobrow, the session also had a cocktail and mocktail station. “Mocktails are the biggest trend of 2018. A lot of consumers are moving away from alcohol, and this session fits right into that dialogue,” says Campbell, explaining the demand for such a session.
Guests, on the other hand, ranged from people who had never tried infused cocktails to others who couldn’t wait to give them a shot. “In the past, I haven’t been interested in infused anything, but listening to him and how he’s been retaining terpene interaction… because in infusion, you often lose the aroma, with the decarb product, I surely want to try it, now,” says Chris Klugman, CEO and president of Paint Box Catering. “There’s has been a huge interest in the overall wine and cannabis combination,” Klugman reports.
Apart from reading some of the recipes from the book, his professional history and his family story, Bobrow also shared some tips to making good cocktails. “There are a ton of things people don’t know about cannabis and cocktails, but predominantly, that they should be decarbing their cannabis—they need to activate the THC. If you take raw cannabis and stick it inside a bottle of liquor… all you will get is a mouldy mass of gunk.”
More than fanning the interest and sharing trade secrets, the session also focused on education. “Love it or hate it, cannabis is part of our reality now,” says Kim Gertler, media and communications representative for CAPS Ontario. “That means, it’s part of the duty of care of every sommelier to look after their customer, and monitor their levels of intoxication and inebriation—whether it’s through alcohol or cannabis. It’s important for people to inform themselves. Education, knowing what works and not, is key,” Gertler adds.
As we celebrate the coming of cannabis edible regulations, it isn’t difficult to get into the holiday spirit. The cannabis industry has entered the post-prohibition era where anything is possible, and we are ready to ring in a new year of endless possibilities (HIGHly optimistic, right?).
Image supplied
That’s why we are rounding off a killer 2018 with our friends at Lifford Cannabis Solutions — and you should definitely join us. Tomorrow, Wednesday December 19th, we’ll be learning how to craft the perfectly infused cocktail and mocktail with The Cocktail Whisperer.
Organized by The Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS) Ontario in partnership with Lifford Cannabis Solutions, the hospitality community is in for a special treat, with learnings that they can bring to their home and holiday events to kick things up a notch. You’ll learn how to wow guests at ALL the holiday parties with some tasty takeaways that will dazzle taste buds and elevate spirits (literally).
Yes, even that hard-to-impress grinch in your crew who could use a little holiday cheer.
This month’s event will feature 6-time author Warren Bobrow The Cocktail Whisperer, as he educates guests on the fine art of cannabis beverages. Warren is a cannabis writer for Forbes, and authored the very first book on cannabis cocktails. Guests will look forward to DIY cannabis cocktail demonstrations and learn about different types of infusions, dosing and flavour profiles.
If you’re in Toronto, we invite you to join us for the final Hospitality Sessions of 2018 at Lifford Wine & Spirits, and you can use HERBLIFE for 15% off at checkout.
Rosie Mattio PHOTO COURTESY: ROSIE MATTIO, PR
Author’s Note: I love working with talented intellects who enjoy the cannabis space for more than just a job, these “think on their feet” entrepreneurs genuinely want to make a difference and are leading the thrust towards doing better by others, one step at a time. I am fortunate to work with several industry leaders in the Public Relations world of cannabis and all are supportive of my desire to document the talented and the entrepreneurial. One such talented person is Rosie Mattio. Rosie has her own cannabis-centric agency that specializes in luxury cannabis products. Her list of clients reads like a “Who’s Who” of the New Cannabis Age, but Rosie is not about shouting their accolades to the world. Quite to the contrary, her strength is organic. She brings people together through synergy and her ease of communication. She makes you feel comfortable in your path, because in the case of this company, brains push forwards- rather than sheer brawn. It takes more than one key player, however to make a team work in the cannabis space. As cannabis is organic, the methods of promotion are also organic. Not forcing, but guiding the guest, through the life of a product or service. Helping, guiding, but not doing is another method of great cannabis PR. Part of the passion of cannabis is the methodology of our tribe. Cannabis is not for everyone, but with the non-conformist views of this talented firm, what Rosie does is allow the consumer to learn along with the teacher, instead of the teacher knowing everything. Knowing everything is impossible in life, and it takes humility to discover the secrets of great Cannabis-Centric PR. I’m honored to share with you, Rosie Mattio, PR., and her five (or so) questions.
The Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS) – Ontario in partnership with Lifford Cannabis Solutions invites the hospitality community to join us for this monthly event series. Please join us at Lifford Wine & Spirits (471 Jarvis Street) on the third Wednesday of the month to learn more about how cannabis will impact the hospitality industry.
$20 for CAPS Members $35 for non-members
Warren Bobrow, the Cocktail Whisperer, is the 6x Author of Apothecary Cocktails: Restorative Drinks from Yesterday and Today, Whiskey Cocktails: Rediscovered Classics and Contemporary Craft Drinks, Bitters and Shrub Syrup Cocktails: Restorative Vintage Cocktails, Mocktails & Elixirs, Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails & Tonics: The Art of Spirited Drinks & Buzz-Worthy Libations and his celebrated, 2017 release, The Craft Cocktail Compendium. Bobrow presented at the 2018 SXSW on Disrupting the Cannabis Kitchen and Cannabis Cocktails. He was the Mercedes-Benz Me Conference Mystery Speaker on Wellness, also at SXSW 2018.
Miqro Lifestyle COURTESY OF DAVINCI
DaVinci, designers and manufacturers of ‘white table cloth’ (ultra high end) cannabis vaporizers would like you to try all other vaporizers first. Why would this even be suggested in a marketplace chock-full of worthy inventions? The long and the short of this axiom is pretty simple. There are dozens and dozens of high and less than high quality products on the market. Many are good, some less so. To get a really good read on what is the very best, experience is absolutely essential. To gain this experience, one must test all the players out. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly? Perhaps it’s something deeper than just getting a high. There are methods and mentions that need to be explained first to understand what a vaporizer does, and why you should buy a DaVinci Miqro, right now!
Cannabis Cocktails and the Da Vinci MIQROWARREN BOBROW: IPHONE X
Technology certainly has taken the lead in the cannabis world with faster, stronger and better moving forward and the ‘old fashioned’ methods (the ones that I’m more familiar with), of enjoying cannabis being left in the dustbin of history. The old days of struggling to roll a joint to take your expensive medicine are the vestiges of time gone past. The very thought of emitting a deep cough from the sometimes-harsh cannabis smoke is uncomfortable on your throat. “High” Technology in cannabis makes taking a hit less onerous and stressful on the lungs, all the while enjoying the flavors and the textures of the concentrated cannabis vapors. I’ve been playing around with expensive technology and these are some standouts in the world of wonderful, cannabis gifts for the person who, has it all, or just wants the very best. Money is no object in most cases! I have included in my list a couple of non-technology items, just because I thought they are worthwhile and well thought out.
Miss USA WARREN BOBROW: IPHONE X