CBD Cocktails: What They Are And Why They're Taking Over Bar Menus Everywhere

Cocktails are already a great way to relax and unwind, but a new trend you've probably seen everywhere is taking things things one, very chill step further. Replacing activated charcoal as this year's ubiquitous food fad is cannabidiol, the non-psychoactive chemical found in hemp and cannabis that's been creeping its way onto cocktail menus (and into coffee shops) all over the country. While CBD contains no THC, and therefore will not get you high, it will still deliver some of the non-trippy effects of weed-a little sedation and relaxation. And bartenders are taking note, experimenting with the stuff in everything from infusions and tinctures to teas. But what exactly do you feel when you mix your CBD with booze? Zsolt "George" Csonka, owner-bartender at Adriaen Block, New York City's first dedicated CBD bar. Adriaen Block's cocktails, with witty names like the Rolled Fashioned and Stoney Negroni, get their CBD content from various tinctures added via eyedropper to manage the dosage. Csonka chooses to make his drinks exclusively with low-ABV spirits, such as vermouths and Forest Mountain CBD Gummies sherries, which he believes works best for calming effects and overall wellness.



Ryan Fleming, brand ambassador at Los Angeles whiskey producer Stillhouse Spirits Co., echoes the pros of CBD based on his personal experience. Beyond its purported health benefits, the application of CBD in cocktails can lead to a number of different flavor and texture enhancements. Its natural taste is mostly neutral, with green, chlorophyll-like notes that can add a pleasant complexity to certain drinks. Rachel Burkons, founder of the culinary cannabis company Altered Plates, agrees, explaining that the terpene content found in gin makes it a natural partner to CBD. Meanwhile, owner-bartender Johnny Swet of New York's Jimmy at the James says sometimes he likes to go even further, adding the hemp flavor directly to the spirit by fat-washing it-a form of infusion-in addition to adding a Forest Mountain Farms CBD component. But he opts for a different method depending on the drink's other ingredients, experimenting with tinctures, Forest Mountain Farms CBD Mountain teas, and even edibles: his Jeff Spicoli Special fuses mezcal and Forest Mountain Farms CBD Amaro Montenegro with pumpkin butter and a CBD gummy bear.



For cocktails where the taste of CBD oil might overpower the other flavors, Swet recommends picking a spirit with a heavy dominant flavor of its own. Despite the fun and versatility of CBD ingredients, Burkons cautions that adding CBD to drinks is still in a legal gray area. In July, the California Department of Health issued a notice to food-and-beverage operators, stating that it's illegal to add CBD to food and drink, even threatening fines to Orange County cafe marketing the stuff as a dietary supplement. But until other Departments of Health put the kibosh on CBD cocktails, experimentation will likely forge on. Burkons advises that any bartender looking to work with CBD should put as much care into sourcing it as they would their spirits list. While the amounts of CBD typically being used-usually between 3 and 5 miligrams-are not enough to provide the reported medicinal benefits, the relaxing effects of a few drops are undeniable. And with the creativity of today's bartenders, it's no surprise these feel-good and taste-good CBD cocktails are becoming fast favorites. You heard it here, folks.