Cocktail Whisperer
Klaus Mezzrole
Many cannabis-infused beverages taste like they were concocted by someone who has never tasted a proper cocktail in their life. Thankfully Klaus tapped the skills of acclaimed mixologist Warren Bobrow, aka the Cocktail Whisperer, to infuse a piquant punch of ginger with zesty lime with rice vinegar, resulting in an adult-quality drink with 10mg THC and < 1mg CBD THC per can.
The Kentucky Kickback is built from a THC-infused, no-booze, bourbon-like spirit called MXXN.MXXN
BY KIRK MILLER
The worlds of THC and alcohol haven’t really crossed over, and to be honest, that’s probably for the best. Not all potentially buzzy experiences need to or should be intertwined.
But if you take away booze from that crossover while keeping the idea of mixology in place, suddenly the small but growing industry of bartender-friendly, cannabinoid-infused “spirits” and mixers makes more sense.
We’ve covered this meeting-of-minds before, although not specifically related to THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis. First there’s Flyers, a line of alcohol-free sparkling cannabis cocktails with full-spectrum CBD distillates that are crafted, in part, by award-winning mixologist Ivy Mix. Then there’s The Pathfinder Hemp & Root, a non-alcoholic “spirit” fermented and distilled from hemp; two of the three founders have extensive liquor brand experience, and the mixer works nicely in both boozy and non-boozy drinks.
When I spoke with the founders of those drinks brands, they all suggested that THC-infused variations were on the way.
One that’s already here? MXXN (pronounced “moon”). The BIPOC-founded brand claims to be the spirit industry’s first 1:1 non-alcoholic and THC-infused replacement for gin, tequila and bourbon. The company is led by Darnell Smith, a booze industry vet with over 15 years of experience at Diageo, Pernod Ricard and Bacardi.
“I was working in the spirits industry in product innovation and found myself drinking more than I cared to due to the nature of the profession,” Smith tells InsideHook. “I was looking for a way to cut back on alcohol but still take part in the social aspects associated with drinking and cocktail culture. And I had been a consumer of cannabis for chronic pain after 15 years as a football player and would make my own tinctures at home, so I started bringing the tinctures out to social events, ordering a tonic and lime and putting a few drops in. My wife encouraged me to find a way to bring the tincture and tonic idea to the public in some capacity.
MXXN’s website offers variations on well-known cocktails, although the proportions are interesting, given the idea that you’re getting about 6 mg of THC per 1.5 oz pour — an Old Fashioned riff, for example, suggests a very small .75 oz measurement of MXXN’s Kentucky Oak, as opposed to a standard 2 oz pour if you were using a regular bourbon.
We were recently able to try MXXN Jalisco Agave (the drink is available in California and direct-to-consumer in a few markets). It’s a cloudy, straw-colored liquid with grassy and floral notes. On the palate, it’s soft but also spicy and with a pronounced salinity — it’s not offensive on its own, but it feels much better suited for a cocktail. I turned my initial small pour into a very nice Paloma alternative, which lacked the usual alcohol “kick” but maintained the essence of agave and heightened the grapefruit notes (while also a touch of spice).
I’m not alone in my thoughts on how the product mixes. “When we started MXXN, we were trying to emulate the tastes of spirits in standalone form,” explains Smith, who also notes that bartenders were consistently giving feedback during the product’s formulation. “But we found it to be extremely difficult to find a substitute for the specific flavor and profile ethanol provides in that form, so we pivoted a bit to create a product that emulates the base flavor profiles of these spirits when mixed in a cocktail with other ingredients.
The recipe wasn’t an easy process. In the brand’s early stages, the technology wasn’t there to get the THC evenly distributed throughout the base formula (“Which for dosing reasons was an obvious problem,” Smith notes). They eventually utilized nanoemulsion technology from Vertosa to solve that problem, but the company also had to finalize the flavor profile and make the product shelf-stable, which proved more difficult to do without alcohol while still utilizing natural ingredients.
In the end, Smith thinks products like MXXN will appeal to the health-conscious (and non-boozy drinkers), but also believes they offer real potential to unite the worlds of drinks and cannabis.
“We’re not here to completely replace your booze or how you consume it,” he says. “We’re here to provide a new experience and evolve cocktail culture.”
Klaus takes a different approach. And that involves a gnome.
Just launched, Klaus is a ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail in a can, albeit with a “10 mg terpene-forward cannabis emulsion per drink” as opposed to a boozy ABV. These were crafted by popular mixologist Warren Bobrow, who credits…well, I’ll have him explain.
“The inspiration for my product, funnily enough, was my drinking gnome named Klaus,” says Bobrow. “Klaus traveled the world with me in my prior career in liquor sales. He also came with me to competitions where I served as a rum judge for both the Ministry of Rum and the Florida-based Rum XP.” (That association explains the launch of Klaus with Mezzrole, a take on the classic Ti’ Punch.)
As Bobrow remembers, he was signing copies of his drinks guide Bitters and Shrub Syrup Cocktails at the Pharmacy Museum when noticed an exhibit named “Cannabis in the Early Apothecary,” which led to an idea for his next book, Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails and Tonics. And the success of that book led to the idea of creating a canned, THC-infused cocktail.
(Yes, but the actual gnome influence? “To me, Klaus is much more than just a German drinking gnome. He represents goodness, kindness and the amalgamation of my life experiences. Sure, he loves to drink, but he’s recently switched over to my refreshing infused mocktails.”)
For Bobrow, it was not an issue emphasizing the cannabis aspects of his drink. “The ‘craft’ in craft cocktails isn’t always about the liquor. It’s the balance of the ingredients,” he says. “My Mezzrole cocktail — named for Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet’s friend and cannabis dealer, Mezz Mezzrow — has no alcohol, but it’s terpene-forward. It smells like a perfectly cured cannabis bud and provides consumers with a lovely, relaxing, talkative yet grounded feeling.” (It’s apparently also great for sleep. We’ll have samples soon to review.)
Unlike some of his peers, Bobrow feels THC is a versatile and somewhat enviable ingredient to work into mixed drinks.
“It can be flavored with terpenes as an adjunct to the other fine ingredients in a craft cocktail, or it can be flavorless and woven into a seltzer,” he says. “To me, the process is not challenging because cannabis possesses terroir. The plant embodies the taste of the place it was grown, like wine, except there are perhaps even more terpenes in cannabis than wine.”
As for serving suggestions, Klaus’s drinks — which will soon include a riff on the Tiki classic Zombie — only have 16 calories and 0.6 grams of sugar per can; each of those 8 oz cans features 10 mg THC, which Bobrow estimates is perfect for two drinks and a nice mental middle ground. “We’re somewhere between a microdose and the opposite end where the effects are a little too strong.”
Even if their approaches (and taste profiles) differ, Bobrow and Smith share a similar audience expectation: health-conscious, social, open to a “buzz” but wanting to feel better in the next morning.
“Many folks in my former world of liquor struggle with alcohol, and several have already reached out to tell me how much this beverage means to them,” says Bobrow. “Alcohol and cannabis provide different experiences. I feel out of control when drinking liquor, and I think a lot of people can relate. But I’m not here to preach. I’m here to make the world’s best craft cannabis libations and raise the bar.”
Upon first glance, artist Emily Eizen is certainly creative, working in the mediums of painting, sculpture, photography, modeling, and performance. Visually intriguing, Emily is a free spirit. Her ‘60s psychedelic-inspired works showcase the beauty, freedom, and diversity she considers essential to establishing equity in the cannabis space and beyond. Emily’s portfolio and commissions highlight her ability to adapt to different styles and aesthetics across spectrums of gender and sexuality, defying convention. A painter by passion, Emily has harnessed her creativity in PAX’s recent More Flowerful Campaign. It all sounds really intriguing to me, and I hope to see her work up close someday soon.
Please tell me about yourself, what do you do for work? Where are you from? Live now? What did you want to be when you grew up?
I am a full-time freelance artist, photographer, model, and creative director. I am originally from the South Bay in Southern California. I grew up at the beach all the time and could be found roller-skating or hanging out at Noble Park in Hermosa Beach with other misfits and artists. Now, I live in West Hollywood. I love living in such a vibrant queer community. When I was in high school, my goal was to get into political science and be an activist. I even went to school for a year in DC but found that there wasn’t a community within that political science major focused on arts and self-expression. That’s when I discovered cannabis and moved back home to LA to start a different journey.
What are you working on right now? Do you have a six and twelve-month goal? What makes your craft different from your peers?
Right now, I am doing creative work for a few major cannabis brands, but also bonbuz, a nonalcoholic functional spirit. It has been fun to venture outside of my cannabis comfort zone. My six-month goal is to have my debut art show which was put off two years ago because of the pandemic. My twelve-month goal is to continue to grow in my craft and use my platform for social justice initiatives around cannabis policy reform. What makes me stand out is my ability to switch roles the way I do. One day I am hiding behind the camera and shooting. The next, I’m in full glam, ready for my close-up, and on top of all of that, I also focus on my own artistic practice as a painter.
What obstacles stand in your way currently, how do you anticipate removing them? Do you have a mentor or teacher who is valuable in your path?
Currently, obstacles in my way are fighting with the social media algorithms so that people actually see the work that I work so hard on. Also, there are some people in the cannabis world that don’t see the value of paying creatives and expect us to work for a product. I hope, as an industry, we can start paying creatives what we are worth. I realize all of these obstacles are nothing compared to what many people face in the cannabis industry and in this country. I want to use my privilege in a productive way to help remove even bigger obstacles, such as the impact of the War on Drugs. Some of my mentors as a creative in the cannabis space have been Roze Volca, Nesha Torres, and many other creative women that have been in the cannabis community since before legalization.
Indoor or outdoor-grown cannabis? Favorite strain right now? When you enjoy cannabis, do you have a favorite food that you prepare? What about your favorite restaurant?
I don’t discriminate against any type of cannabis; I will smoke indoor and outdoor flowers. I enjoy the sustainability of outdoor greenhouse farming practices but obviously enjoy the taste and potency of indoor as well. I am a snacks fiend; the munchies always slap me so hard, and I am a sucker for junky snacks—chips, Hostess snacks, candy, you name it. My favorite restaurant was Souplantation (RIP), another casualty of COVID.
What is your passion?
My passion is definitely the intersection of art and social activism. Using creativity to help people is the ultimate goal of my career, and nothing brings me more satisfaction.
__
Feature Photo Credit: Jessica Miller for PAX’s More Flowerful Campaign
Try this infused condensed milk recipe for your next cup of Thai iced tea, Vietnamese coffee, or canna-mocktail. It won’t upset the family members who don’t care for the smell of burning herb filling in the air!
Try our infused condensed milk with coffee!
Klaus and I have taken a trip, so to speak. We’re currently in Santa Rosa California to attend the Hall Of Flowers but took some time today to explore both the Cannadel and Jane Dispensaries! Incredible service and people!!!
Cocktail Whisperer
Warren Bobrow is an American mixologist, writer, cocktail industry consultant, and cannabis alchemist.
A New Jersey native, Bobrow has worked as a dishwasher, television engineer, and fresh pasta manufacturer. In 2009, after 20 years in the private banking industry, Bobrow returned to school at New School University and the French Culinary Institute to develop his passion for food writing.
Walter Bobrow is the author of five books, including: 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 The Craft Cocktail Compendium: Contemporary Interpretations and Inspired Twists on Time-Honored Classics.
In addition, Bobrow is the founder of cocktailwhisperer.com, a “Top 25 Cocktail Blog.” His work has appeared in Saveur, Voda, Eater, Distiller, and New Jersey Monthly¸ among other publications. He is a Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award nominee, and was featured on “The 2010 Saveur 100” list of inspiring people, places and techniques.
Now, Raw Garden is offering a new education program for budtenders. Each session raises the bar on the sense of superiority and their taste of the place or terroir.
Raw Garden’s portfolio of experiences offers a timely and tangible vision into the healing art of cannabis.
These are some of the best examples of what your money can buy in the art of cannabis concentrates.
Warren Bobrow=WB:
Please tell me about yourself and your passions. What are you working on right now?
Khalid Al-Naser=KAN:
I am currently the Head of Product at Raw Garden but have worn many hats since the company’s inception. Whatever hat I have on, the passion has always been about constant process improvement and delivering the best Cannabis products we can. This is the driving force behind the entire team at Raw Garden.
WB: How are you training budtenders? Do you talk to them about terroir? What about aromatics/terps?
KAN: Raw Garden has launched The Raw Garden Social Club which is an interactive trade education program designed to champion budtenders and build community.
We love engaging with budtenders and letting their questions and curiosities guide the conversation. When it comes to training, it usually revolves around aromas and getting the audience in tune with how we do what we do, and what makes Raw Garden different. We want to convey that controlling the process from seed to finished product allows for greater quality control. The result is a more consistent product for the consumer.
The conversations about quality and supply chain usually center around cultivation, our drive to perfect cultivation, and our push to innovate with the ingredients the Cannabis plant provides. This is one place where I often talk about aromatics and terroir. I like to highlight the fact that we depend wholly on the Cannabis plant to provide our product ingredients. For instance, we are one of only a few companies that do not use non-cannabis flavor additives to their vape oil. We depend solely on the natural aromatics that come from the plant we grew.
Aromatics are an important part of what the Cannabis plant produces, and just like other agricultural commodities, the terroir and growing process impact the outcome. With higher value goods, like wine, those outcomes are usually enhanced by the recording of vintage and provenance (or location).
One of our goals is to help guide budtenders and consumers toward entirely Cannabis based products, and away from the mass of non-Cannabis flavored THC products in the market today. We want to elevate the experience through using nothing but the plant’s natural aromatics. These aromatics drive the cannabis connoisseur, and by association, the budtender is expected to be that connoisseur.
WB: What was your inspiration for this path in cannabis training?
KAN: The inspiration comes from my love of craftsmanship, artistry, food, and aromas! You pair that with a hunger to learn about the things I enjoy –like getting high and providing great products to the consumer– and the training just happens naturally and with serious pleasure. The Cannabis plant truly facilitates the joys of learning.
I think there are a lot of similarities between cannabis and wine, and cannabis and food. When you consume something and form a close relationship with it, the “art” of consumption (in part) becomes about the critiquing of that “thing” and the willingness to slow down and assess it, savor it.
I believe this awareness enhances the experience and I want the consumer and the budtenders to have the best experiences possible.
WB: What is your favorite food? Made by whom? What’s your favorite wine?
KAN: Right now, I am really enjoying the food made by Chef Budi at the Gathering Table, which is a great little place at the Ballard Inn in the Santa Ynez Valley. — They make dishes inspired by the Chef’s experiences and likes. He often leans into Asian infusion creating incredible dishes that are unique, fresh takes on traditional dishes. Everything from the Hamachi to the Pan Fried Noodles, the Sliders with Pork Belly and Quail Egg or the Lamb Chops are all winners! Everything on Chef Budi’s menu is great! I usually like to go with a group and order as much of the menu as possible. I always recommend the Chef’s Caramel Budino to anyone looking for a real treat at the end of the meal.
(Wine) I would have to say more broadly, the Pinot Noir from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA in the Santa Ynez Valley (where we farm) has been where I have spent most of my time recently. I have found that I really like the medium bodied pinots with notes of date and caramelly raisin. I also really enjoy the diversity of the grape; it offers lots of different experiences. — I have also been enjoying drinking and learning about Tokaji. It’s a Hungarian dessert wine with a long and storied history that inspires me to want to learn more about its process and history.
WB: What is your favorite, indoor or outdoor grown?
KAN: Outdoor and indoor grown THC is the same molecule. One method may produce slightly more or less of this active ingredient within the same plant. However, the biggest differences in the two methods can be recognized by the richness of the aromatics produced. Anecdotally, most of my favorite aromas have come from the plants we’ve grown outdoors.
Iknow cannabis is expensive. Every time that I visit a dispensary it’s very difficult to leave without spending many hundreds of dollars on the good stuff. That’s right, I hate to skimp when it comes to cannabis. That’s exactly why Baker’s Cannabis Company offers something different than the fray. It’s less expensive than their peers.
What do they do well:
What they offer is creativity, something not everyone can do. I think they do a great job and I want to tell you why.
Baker’s talent involves the agility to build a product that’s different than their colleagues. Baker’s is much more than just a sum of its parts. They use really funky strains rolled in cannabis oil and kief. Like a well-made bowl of Andalusian gazpacho soup, each heady pull from their fat, kief dusted pre-roll joints reveals different flavors and a myriad of lavish effects.
It’s really remarkable what Baker’s has created in the cannabis realm for less money than their peers.
Baker’s offers a uniquely creative solution to this vexing cannabis purchasing difficulty.
How to acquire something that gets your really stoned for less money and something that doesn’t suck.
Baker’s really surprised me. Each one gram joint lasted me several days because it is that convincing in effect. I would take a hit or two and let the joint go out. It’s only me smoking, so I can make a joint last quite a while.
Each experience was delightful and the money I saved… At the end of the day that really matters too. I believe this is part of their overall marketing strategy. Make something really good for less money. A consumer’s win/win, and a smile to the universe.
Baker’s Cannabis Company is more than just a company that uses esoteric cannabis strains. None of the varieties I’d ever heard of prior. They utilize strains like Meat Breath (l love this name), Garlic Breath, just as it sounds and Peach Ozz. Which is, quite literally like biting into a juicy summer peach, the way the warm, sun-drenched liquid drips down my chin. That is the experience here, but more of the descriptions in the tasting notes…
Expensive. Baker’s is not an expensive, nor is it a pretentious cannabis brand!
This is carefully grown and most importantly gently cured flower. They do their technical job very successfully. Each of their pre-rolls come gently filled. These joints burn evenly and very slowly, each one lasting a long time. Smart and savvy!
Meat Breath is a pre-roll, kief, oil and flower.
Some say that meat breath smells dank, like soil and earth. I’d definitely agree with this accurate description. I’d also add descriptors like bursts of lamp oil, turned loam, diesel fuel, dried Mt. Rainier cherry skins and crushed, salt-slicked stones to the mix. Meat Breath is not for the cannabis beginner. I’d take my time smoking this whether you are a neophyte or even a seasoned toker. The high comes on slowly but with great resolve. If you are having trouble sleeping or if pain needs to be gone, may I please recommend this strain to you.
Sure, it’s got a strange name, but smoking the Indica leaning Meat Breath really works the magic of the plant upon your healing experience. I love it!
Garlic Breath is a pre-roll, kief, oil and flower.
If you’ve ever peeled and crushed garlic with the palm of your hand, then you’d be very familiar with the first whiffs of Garlic Breath. It’s the literal description of oily Gilroy garlic, the way it melts against a slice of sourdough toast. That is what I smelled when I opened the pre-roll tube. Garlic Breath is Indica in derivation and the pleasure that I got when I smoked this doobie was deeply amusing. Darkness envelops the outer space with the vernal equinox well past, yet the inner space was stimulated at first, then the persuasive aromatics and flavors slowly oozing through the synapsis of my brain into that deeply mesmerizing couch-lock experience that I seek. Garlic Breath takes your hand gently and leads you down to the river where ducklings are frolicking peacefully in the cool water. Try some and experience this phenomenon.
*Just my impression*
Peach Ozz is a pre-roll, kief, oil and flower. If summer peaches are your thing and you seek cannabis strains that remind you of opulent stone fruits, perfectly ripened by the sun. This is California cannabis personified. The peach juices that drip down your chin are warm and sensory in volatility. Each pull of the Peach Ozz preroll captivate the consumer, but don’t let your guard down too much. This is a Sativa strain. You may find yourself doing things that you haven’t done in a while, like cleaning the entire house top to bottom. Peach Ozz is reminiscent of that first burst of cool fall air when you throw open the windows. You are refreshed, full of energy and ready to smoke this joint with fervor. It’s that good and what a mind-stimulating high. Chock-full of all the reasons why we smoke cannabis in the first place. To heal what ails us, even if there is nothing wrong with us at all. It helps us with all life’s problems. Sure, that sounds incredibly intimate, each person perceives the buzz differently. Always keep firmly in mind that healing with cannabis is well rooted in history.
Peach Ozz unlocks that creativity in my brain in a peaceful, yet pertinent manner without putting me to sleep afterwards.
And in my opinion, this means: Class Act!
The Stone Age Potcast interview with the CEO of Klaus Apothecaire LLC, 6x Author and Master Mixologist Warren Bobrow. We had a great time getting to know Warren and learning about craft cannabis infused mocktails. In fact, you can learn from home by purchasing one of his books off amazon. There are hundreds of recipes he has created that are sure to make to your next party a huge hit. Coming soon to California, Warren created Klaus which is a drink infused with 10mg of live resin. You can expect a unique terpene profile to accompany this craft drink along with a kick of fresh frozen thc extract to put you in that right state of mind. Available soon in Cali. Check out his column in the Cannabis Cactus Magazine online or print, an Arizona based cannabis magazine full of culture, entertaining stories, news, and much more. Make sure you check out their website and follow Warren to learn how to get cross faded the correct way.