Warren Bobrow - Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails, and Tonics: The Art of Spirited Drinks and Buzz-Worthy Libations

2016 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.

Text 2016 Warren Bobrow

First published in the United States of America in 2016 by

Fair Winds Press, an imprint of

Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Digital edition published in 2016

Digital edition: 978-1-59233-734-7
Hardcover edition: 978-1-63159-177-8

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available

Design: Sussner Design Company

Page Layout: Kathie Alexander

Photography: Glenn Scott Photography

Food Styling: Natasha Taylor, natasha-taylor-stilllife.squarespace.com

The distilled spirit producers featured in this book do not condone/support/promote the simultaneous consumption of alcohol and marijuana, nor were they involved in the production of this book. The distilled spirit producers featured in this book do not condone/support/promote the purchase, sale, or use of federally controlled substances.

To my father,

ROBERT BOBROW,

who taught me to stand on my own two feet and succeed at what made me happy.

M arijuana is enjoying increased social acceptance and even legalization in some states. At first glance one might conclude that the legalization of marijuana isnt that different from the end of the prohibition against alcohol. An intoxicant was illegal, now it isnt.

Yes, thats truebut with a big difference. Both alcohol and marijuana alter ones consciousness, but science is showing that cannabis makes us feel good and it may have properties that heal us as well. Cannabis is proving helpful in alleviating the side effects of cancer, particularly pain and nausea. It is showing promise in alleviating the anxiety and depression of PTSD, and alleviating some symptoms of Crohns disease.

Modern science is uncovering the science behind medical marijuana, and with these discoveries our relationship to this once forbidden plant is quickly evolving. No longer shunned and hidden, the wave of legalization sweeping the world is opening doors for so many of us.

I see three chapters in this amazing story: decriminalization (including medical marijuana), legalization (even with conditions and fine print), and finally normalization. Normalization occurs when cannabis takes its rightful place in modern life. Not shunned or ostracized, but on the shelf next to your other consumer goods.

While cooking with cannabis is a well-established practice, using cannabis in cocktails is relatively new. Ethanol is an excellent solvent for all thats good in cannabis. Whether your objective is to capture the cannabinoids, like THC and CBD, or to impart a one-of-a-kind flavor by stripping terpenes and flavonoids, alcohol is your best alternative. Its inexpensive, nontoxic compared to other industrial solvents, and lets face it, you need alcohol to make cocktails anyway!

There is more to cannabis cocktails than mixing two intoxicants together and getting buzzed. If one applies solid science to mixing cannabis into cocktails not only are unique and exotic flavors at the tip of your tonguebut one can use precise methods and techniques to elevate a mere beverage to an herbal concoction.

Its all well and good to say, Use cannabis in your drinks. But the how is more important than the what. No one is advocating tossing a joint in the blender and making a libation. Not only would you fail to get high or impart a desirable flavor, youre doing little more than throwing money away while displaying your ignorance about the chemistry of cannabis.

We all need a guide, a docent, someone to lead the way. This person needs to bridge the worlds of booze and bud, potables and pot. And this person needs to understand the chemistry behind what theyre doing. One such person can lead all of us to healthier cocktails that combine the best of both worlds. Formulations that bring out the wonderful properties of cannabis. Recipes we can all make at home with the bar and kitchen tools we already have.

With three books to his credit, Warren Bobrow has already proven to us all he knows what hes doing. With this book, hes sharing some of the science behind cannabis cocktails with style and finesse.

JERRY WHITING

LeBlanc CNE / Seattle

Cannabis has been used as herbal medicine for thousands of years at the very least, in ancient Chinese and Egyptian cultures, among others. Eventually it made its way around the world, including Europe and the United States, where it became illegal in the 1930s. These days, a number of states have either decriminalized cannabis or permit its use for medical purposesits been said to help with pain relief, muscle spasms, and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, for instance.

You probably know that the traditional way to ingest cannabis is to smoke it. But if you dont enjoy smoking, or if youre worried about the health risks associated with smoking, its hard to know what else to do with cannabisexcept add it to baked goods, of course. And lets face it: you can only eat so many pot brownies.

T here is an alternative, though. Craft cocktails are a new, and increasingly popular, way to consume cannabis. And thats where this book comes in. Itll teach you everything you need to know about using cannabis in both cocktails and mocktailsand how to do it safely and effectively.

If the combination of craft cocktails and cannabis sounds unusual to you, it might surprise you to learn that small amounts of cannabis can actually complement some spirits. After all, cocktail bittersevery bartenders best friendoriginated as herbal medicines in early apothecaries. Bitters contained (and still contain) medicinal botanicals that were intended to ease maladies of all sorts. From that perspective, then, it is a pretty logical step to add cannabis to digestifs, such as amaro, or to gut-friendly, vinegar-based shrubs. And, most importantly, when theyre made well, cannabis cocktails taste good.