Categories
5 Questions Articles Skunk Magazine

GETTING GRANULAR IN FIVE QUESTIONS: TIMELESS FOUNDER ROCKY HUANG


I love to see great marketing in action. But the product at hand cannot be just a pretty picture and nothing behind it. The inside is just as important as the outside!
The fine extractions utilized by cannabis superstar; Rocky Huang are just that. Gourmet extractions and augmented pre-rolls, all fabricated with passion.

It’s important, actually vital, for any “gourmet” cannabis company to set itself apart from its peers in the industry of the plant. I love creativity, and I’ve been known to enjoy a vape cart from time to time. They certainly make the art and science of cannabis easier to enjoy because they don’t shout- I’m smoking a joint. This is especially important around people who eschew the scent of cannabis in a public place. The creative side of the equation is the artistic slant of the product. I dig it. Maybe someday I can taste their infused flower? They have to be good to stand out in the marketplace.

Let me be the first to tell you that Timeless is classic old-school piquancy enrobed in a richly modern ethos.

cannabis world news interviews Rocky Huang sitting in chair
Photo Credit: Timeless

Warren Bobrow: Please tell me about yourself. Where are you from? When did you discover cannabis? Why cannabis?

Rocky Huang: I was born in San Francisco and grew up in Arizona and was introduced to cannabis in 1994 through smoking recreationally with friends. From there, I consumed frequently throughout high school and college. When I went to college at the University of Arizona, I met friends with family in Humboldt, CA, and Portland, OR. I was fortunate to be introduced to the deep legacy of cannabis culture. With the relationships I cultivated, I was taught how to extract cannabis oil and fill vape cartridges in 2011.

cannabis world news interviews three packages of Tumble Cannabis
Photo Credit: Timeless

WB: Please tell me about your business. What’s the inspiration behind your company name?

RH: The Timeless brand was started in 2011 initially as a streetwear clothing company. While clothing & accessories were the primary focus, we learned that the most important part of the business was the culture surrounding the industry. Cannabis was an intricate part of the culture, so naturally, it became part of the brand, so when Arizona legalized in 2012, we transitioned the core business to cannabis. When we first transitioned, we believed that consumers would eventually want to be associated with a brand that they could resonate with. In the beginning, the industry had challenges just keeping products on the shelf, so we had to strategically balance brand-building and consistently supply our dispensary partners. Today, Timeless provides leading cannabis packaged goods to licensed dispensaries in AZ, CA, OH, MO, and OK. We stay focused on providing quality products and cultivating strong relationships with our partners and customers, so we believe we are positioned well in a constantly evolving industry.

WB: What kind of products do you produce? What sets you apart from your peers?

RH: Timeless is now the parent company of multiple high-quality cannabis brands offering options for every type of consumer, including Timeless Vapes (distillate), NOIR (live resin), Joilo pre-rolls in CA, and Tumble THCA diamond infused-pre rolls in AZ. Soon we’ll be launching live rosin vapes in AZ as well. We believe the combination of quality products, multiple product offerings, consistent community engagement specific to each market, and superior customer service from our dispensary partners sets us apart from our peers. Community is a key pillar of our company, and we recognize that marketing resonates differently in each region, so we cater our offerings accordingly, whether it be products or activations. Right now, we’re gearing up for our Timeless Summer Road Trip, where we’ll be hitting each market with special product drops and fun things to do, like our partnerships with the Venice Basketball League in LA and Terp Float in Oklahoma.

cannabis world news interviews packaging for Timeless vape pens
Photo Credit: Timeless

WB: What are your six and twelve-month goals?

RH: We plan on opening in 2 more territories in the next six months and an additional 2-3 within 12 months. In that timespan, we’ll also release more collaborations from our Artist Legacy Program, developed to support creatives and provide them with a canvas through cannabis. Recently we’ve partnered with artists including Skinner, Tatiana Suarez, John Malta, and APEXER on limited-edition vape flip cases and battery combos from the Timeless Vapes brand.

WB: What is your passion? What is your favorite place in the world to visit?

RH: I personally enjoy spending time with my family, playing basketball, and golfing with peers and friends. My favorite place to visit is Florence, Italy.

Share Skunk Magazine With Your Friends

Categories
Events

Love.Life

I created the cocktail and mocktail program for @theofficiallove.life. This project changed me forever. No longer am I just one thing in beverages. I can do many things and hopefully do them well.

Love.Life
Categories
Articles

Bon Appetit, Klaus!

Pickett’s Ginger Beer is Flying High. Excited to share that cannabis cocktail expert Warren Bobrow’s Klaus brand THC canned cocktails were featured in Bon Appetit’s February issue. His Mezzrole features 10mg THC for “mind-opening euphoria” and is made with Pickett’s Hot & Spicy Ginger Beer.  If you’re in California, check out Klaus at your favorite dispensary. We hope that other states soon follow suit because Warren has created a truly elegant and delicious cocktail and we’re so grateful for his partnership. 
Pickett’s has officially joined the 30,000 feet club with a really nice showing in United Airline’s Hemisphere magazine. Hoping you high-fliers take a peek and use the code to refresh your inventory with Medium Spicy and Hot & Spicy, in cans or bottled syrup.
 
Please visit Hemispheres Magazine pg 99 to view the feature.
Categories
Events Interviews Klaus Podcasts

Warren Bobrow and The Leaf; Chip Z’Nuff

PLEASE WELCOME to the LEAF

Legendary “Cocktail Whisperer” and “Cannabis Whisperer” and famed mixologist WARREN BOBROW

with weed stories, NYC club stories, and the do’s and don’ts of creating your own finest cannabis cocktails

This Wed High Noon PST (3pm EST) with our smokin’ Host CHIP Z’NUFF (Link Above!)

on the Monsters of Rock channel on Dash Radio – https://dashradio.com/monstersofrock

Much more to come on THE LEAF!!  You ain’t seen nuthin yet!!

Categories
Articles Klaus Klaus Apothicaire Reviews

Curtis McMillan (@manindabag) TikTok Review

@DjManindabag

Categories
Articles Klaus Klaus Apothicaire Reviews

The Key to Combining Cannabis and Mixology? Remove the Booze.

Led by longtime drinks professionals, brands like MXXN and Klaus think THC can thrive in cocktail culture, sans the alcohol

BY KIRK MILLER / APRIL 20, 2022 6:25 AM

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.

An Old Fashioned made from The Pathfinder, a n/a hemp spirit that actually works well in boozy cocktails

Review: The Pathfinder Is a Non-Alcoholic Spirit That Shines in Boozy Drinks

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.”https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca-Ypv9Ma0X/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=12

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.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ2ObaFDuqb/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=12

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.”

https://www.instagram.com/drinkklaus/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=6cf1c6e0-4a98-4a77-9cd6-aba561850ae6

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.”

https://www.insidehook.com/article/booze/mixology-cannabis-thc-spirits-klaus-mxxn/amp

Categories
5 Questions Skunk Magazine

FIVE INTRIGUING QUESTIONS FOR CHRIS MARROQUIN, DIRECTOR OF MANUFACTURING/ROVE

Recently I had the good fortune to taste through the line of Rove cannabis products, specifically the vape cartridges. These ultra-luxe products are by far, some of the most authentically reproduced cannabis vape carts I’ve ever enjoyed. I think what makes them so intriguing is the “taste of the place” or in layman’s terms, the terroir of the plant. These carts are so good. They taste like smoking a fat bud, instead of layering your palate with candy flavors. Rove has harnessed the art of the plant, in a simple-to-use format, its well-designed vape pen. Kudos to them!

Warren Bobrow: Chris, please tell me about yourself. Where are you from? Why cannabis? When did you first discover the plant? Do you remember what you were listening to? 

Chris Marroquin: I am the Director of Manufacturing here at Rove. I grew up in Nevada after my family relocated from LA in 1993, and Las Vegas will always feel like home. I first discovered cannabis in high school, when my classmate’s dad was growing it and introduced my friend to growing. I was fascinated with all aspects of the plant: how to grow, cure and store it, its effects, how to cook with it, and how to make extracts. Back then Green Day, Bush, and MxPx would be spinning on my portable CD player.

Photo Courtesy of Rove

Warren Bobrow: Tell me about your Ice Hash and Live Rosin. I’ve been sampling the goods and they are incredibly terroir-driven. I can really taste the plant and I find that quite beguiling. Your thoughts on the process? 

Chris Marroquin: We are lucky to have strong relationships with our farm partners, and I’m regularly out in the literal field meeting new and up-and-coming farmers and touching the plant. When I do this, I’m looking at both the overall health of the grow and focusing on the terpene profile’s potential for becoming a well-balanced flavor profile in any one of our different Rove product lines.

The process for our rosin starts with perfectly ripened plants. Once ready for harvest, they are picked and immediately flash-frozen. This technique preserves the flavor profile of the plant at its most pristine without degrading any core properties. From this stage, the plant is ready to be mechanically separated into bubble hash using water as a carrier. The hash is then filtered and freeze-dried before being pressed into rosin. Terroir is a huge part of rosin. Growing medium, growing practices, environment, and light affect the plant’s ability to achieve its genetic potential.

Cannabis production, when optimized through a careful and hands-on process, can produce high levels of terpenoids, flavonoids, and cannabinoids. Creating the perfect environment and set of protocols, combined with some of our proprietary Rove techniques to decrease degradation and maintain freshness and purity is what gives the rosin that lip-smacking taste. The result is that the original plant profile can be experienced on a level far beyond its original plant form.

Warren Bobrow: Do you have a mentor?  What are your six and twelve-month goals? What obstacles do you face? How do you anticipate removing them? 

Chris Marroquin: My dad has been a lifelong mentor to me, for pretty much everything. His attention to detail and empathic intelligence really resonate with and inspire me. As far as work goes, our CEO Paul Jacobson has been an integral mentor in helping me understand the business side of cannabis. And beyond my family and close colleagues, I’ve followed The Rev for a long time, reading his books and articles. Haven’t met him yet, but True Living Organics is my favorite cultivation book.

Personally, in six months I’d like to have closed on at least 10 more acres of land. I believe land gives you freedom, and because it’s a finite resource I see it as an investment, too.
My twelve-month goals are to maintain balance at Rove while expanding the brand to other states and possibly internationally.

Currently, we are in the final stages of R&D to infuse our Drink Loud with Live Rosin. Edible rosin is a fast-growing market for good reason, it provides a full-spectrum experience in edible form.

I am also researching the potential for CBG eye drops. I’ve had success in microencapsulating the CBG to allow it to blend with water, but the formulation and process still need work. My father lost his vision in his right eye due to glaucoma, and ever since I’ve looked for ways that cannabis could help others struggling with what he did.

Photo Courtesy of Rove

Warren Bobrow: What is your favorite food to complement your creative extractions? Do you have a go-to restaurant that you want to share?

Chris Marroquin: I go for hydrating fruits like watermelon, passionfruit, mangoes, and berries. I tend to eat in excess when complementing with extracts, so I keep it light and hydrating to remain productive and maintain mental clarity. As far as favorite restaurants, I love Garden Grill in Las Vegas. It happens to be vegan, and my favorite thing on the menu is its crispy chicken sandwich and beer-battered avocado tacos. It’s my favorite sandwich, vegan or not.

If we are talking about a bigger meal, say after enjoying several joints or a cannagar, I like to start with a palate cleanser because I know instead of getting “fuller” my appetite will increase. If I’m consuming live resin or rosin it’s a lot easier to go with a richer dish, such as croquetas or a ribeye steak. With edibles, I like to keep the dishes light and nutritious until I’m ready to ‘give in’ to the edible and eat something heavier, like lasagna or pasta.

Warren Bobrow: What is your passion? 

Chris Marroquin: I love to garden and cook. It’s about the experience for me, whether it’s growing heirlooms/rare genetics of a plant/fruit, or learning a new cooking technique. The most recent cooking skill I’ve been learning is Mornay sauce. It’s basically a béchamel sauce with grated cheese. I love nachos and this is the perfect consistency of nacho cheese sauce. It’s a pretty basic technique but I just recently learned both. It’s so satisfying for me to learn new techniques and then make a beautiful meal using the best ingredients.

https://rovebrand.com/
https://www.gardengrilllv.com/

https://www.skunkmagazine.com/five-intriguing-questions-for-chris-marroquin-director-of-manufacturing-rove/
Categories
Klaus Klaus Apothicaire Reviews Uncategorized

mg magazine

mgmagazine!

https://indd.adobe.com/view/37506186-b5b9-4a5c-acb0-1c55becb1878

Categories
Events Klaus

Second Annual Hamptons Cannabis Soirée!

On behalf of both House of Puff and Sands Lane, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for attending the Second Annual Hamptons Cannabis Soirée! House of Puff x Sands Lane

We’re grateful for all our partners and friends, old and new, that were in attendance and look forward to continuing to work together to create a holistic cannabis industry that celebrates culture, provides opportunities and de-stigmatizes the plant.  

Big thanks to:

  • Pax
  • Alpha Root
  • Chef Ali + HiFive Team
  • FLWR City
  • Honeysuckle Media
  • Fountain
  • Artet
  • Malus
  • Herbacée
  • Klaus
  • Potli
  • Floramye
  • Liquid Death
  • DJ Nick Rouner
  • Mesobis
  • + everyone who donated to the Brigid Alliance 

With gratitude,

House of Puff x Sands Lane