Cannabis Drinks: Secrets to Crafting CBD and THC Beverages at Home

by Jamie Evans

Welcome to the future of beverages! Infusing cannabis into drinks can be done in a variety of ways. Learn all about it as you craft delicious cocktails, smoothies, lattes, and spirit-free mixed drinks. 

Maybe you’re curious about CBD or perhaps you’ve tried a store-bought sparkling cannabis drink already. Either way, you’re here because you’re ready to learn the ins and outs of making deliciously infused drinkables. This guide, written by Jamie Evans (author of The Ultimate Guide to CBD), will serve as the go-to resource for anyone interested in incorporating phytocannabinoids into a variety of recipes.

Inside, you’ll start your journey with infused mixology. You’ll learn the most essential how-tos and infusion methods, including decarboxylation and heating techniques for those who want to do it all. Different from other books in this category, this book offers something to both beginners and experts—and crucially, to both those who only want to use CBD and those who want to infuse with THC—presenting many approaches to enhancing drinks. From adding CBD oils and tinctures to a variety of recipes to crafting more complex cannabis libations behind the bar, you can choose the path that’s right for you. Recipes include: 
 

• Basic infusions: Infused bitters, shrubs, honey, sour mix, simple syrups, and an alcohol-based tincture
• Coffee and tea: Pumpkin Spice Latte, Butter Coffee, Turmeric Latte, Summer Berry Palmer, Ginger Lemon Hibiscus Iced Tea, Masala Chai Tea
• Juices, shakes, and smoothies: Green Goddess Canna-leaf Juice, Garden of Eden Juice, Chocolate Banana Protein Shake, PB&J Shake, Superfood Smoothie, Vitamin CBD Smoothie
• Spirit-Free Mixed Drinks: Raspberry Rickey, Sparkling Rosemary Greyhound, Fuzzy Ginger Fizz, Apple Spice CBD Mule, The Jolly Cranberry, Infused Feisty Mary
• Cocktails: Blood Orange Aperol Spritz, Spicy Melon Margarita, CBD Limelight, Strawberry Lime Shrub Soda, Blackberry Bramble, Pisco Papaya Sour, Laid Back Manhattan, Toasty Toddy
• And many more!

With an exploration of cannabis terpenes, this book also provides the author’s signature techniques for evaluating cannabis aroma and flavor profiles to curate flavor pairings. As a Wine Enthusiast 40 Under 40 Tastemaker and Certified Specialist of Wine, Jamie applies the same sensory evaluation techniques she used in the wine world to cannabis, helping readers fine-tune their senses to better understand it as an ingredient—and use it to craft the perfect infused drinks. Including recipes and tips from leading industry experts, this book has it all.

• ISBN13: 9781592339747
• Publish Date: 11 May 2021 (first published 20 April 2021)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 20 April 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Fair Winds Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 176
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Cannabis Drinks is a mixology guide with recipes by Jamie Evans. Due out 13th April 2021 from Quarto on their Fair Winds Press imprint, it's 176 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a wide ranging collection full of fun and fancy drinks for all tastes. This is quite a technical manual and readers will find a wealth of detailed information about which strains of cannabis pair best with which beverages, a detailed survey of tools and equipment, and a broad range of mixed drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

The introduction and mixology chapters contain an impressive amount of info including an overview over CBD and THC infusions (and how-tos), necessary tools, and lots of tips and tricks. The author does a good job of explaining the differences between CBD and THC and the differences when ingested. The recipes themselves are arranged thematically: infusions, coffees teas juices shakes & smoothies, spirit free mixed drinks and cocktails. Recipe ingredients are listed bullet style in a sidebar with measures given in both American standard and metric (yay!). Yields are given as well as target dosage information for CBD and THC per serving. Step by step instructions are clear and specific.

This is a niche book but very well written and specific. The recipes will definitely need specialist suppliers and tools (resources listed in the appendices). The photography is clear and abundant, including the tutorials and partial ingredient recipes (bitters, infusions, etc). I would recommend this one to moderately advanced foodies, mixologists, CBD/cannabis connoisseurs or for gifting to CBD curious friends.

Five stars. Very well written and detailed with a no-nonsense appealing graphic layout and illustrations.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.