As Americans put aside their pot prejudices, users are spreading the gospel about CBD oil, the part of cannabis with anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, and anti-nausea properties that doesn’t get you high. It was only a matter of time before we start mixing it in with our booze.
Gracias Madre, a plant-based Mexican restaurant near the Cali coastline (where recreational marijuana is legal), has been serving CBD-tinged cocktails for a few years. The allure is both medicinal and mellow. “Some people are like, ‘Oh man I’m a total stoner, and I think that’s so cool,’ and some people are these 70-year-old women who are like, ‘My granddaughter got me into CBD for my arthritis,'” says Max Reis, beverage director at Gracias Madre. “It does add a chill factor, which is nice. I think the term ‘angry drunk’ exists in this world, and maybe that might help alleviate that.”
The flavor profile for CBD cocktails completely changes depending on the oil—there is a huge range available to consumers where it is legal—but Reis doesn’t use oils that mask the marijuana taste. So choose a tincture that preserves that natural skunkiness and squeeze in a few drops. As for your base spirit, “You just have to think vegetal and plant-y,” he says. And one final tip: use 15mg of CBD per cocktail. It’s the tried-and-true dosage at Gracias Madre.