Drink This Cannabis Cocktail Instead of Beer on St. Patrick’s Day!

St. Patrick’s Day has the unfortunate reputation for being a day that celebrates drinking and getting drunk, and that is too bad, but we can add a little weed to balance out that booze and get us to a nice high place.

Enjoying alcohol in moderation along with cannabis allows us to feel high without the terrible consequences of a hangover the next day. Stick mostly to bud, not booze, on St. Patrick’s Day, save for just one or two of these amazing cocktails!

Since our national celebration of Guinness and stereotypical Irish culture falls in the early Spring, I’m forced by necessity to pay homage to the seasonal changes in my drinking and the ingredients therein. As a seasonal ingredient, maple syrup comes to mind, and the way to infuse it with THC is quite simple!

I love to infuse cannabis into ingredients that I’m going to use later in my mixed drinks, and maple syrup is one of those ingredients that takes to a long, slow infusion with alacrity. Perhaps the natural sugar is what brings maple syrup into a marriage of sorts with with decarbed cannabis? I’m pretty sure the unhurried infusion has a great deal to do with the cheer this syrup creates!

This drink blends infused maple syrup with absinthe, apple brandy, whisky and more to create a sophisticated taste sensation. Inspired by a Sazerac, this little mind eraser is perfect when the temperature starts to rise and you need a bit of cooling to go along with all that Guinness you’ll be sipping on St. Patrick’s Day.

I also make this drink with cannabis-infused absinthe, but the process of infusing alcohol can be somewhat dangerous, so I’ve omitted it here. If you’re interested in going further, check out my book Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails and Tonics for in-depth instructions on infusing various types of alcohol with weed.

Canna-Maple Infusion

Ingredients:

• 6 grams Cannabis
• 16 oz Maple Syrup

(Chef’s Note: I use the really dark maple syrup, known as Grade B.)

Prep:

First, decarboxylate your cannabis for 45 minutes at 240ºF in the oven. Grind up the herb and place it in a pie plate covered tightly in foil. Toasting the herb ensures that all of the THC is activated to the fullest!

Use a double boiler (a bowl over a pot, with a few inches of water in the pot to maintain a constant temperature) to heat your maple syrup to 160ºF, using a candy thermometer to measure the temperature. Add the cannabis to a cheesecloth pouch so it’s easier to remove later, and immerse it in the hot syrup.

Infuse for minimum of two hours, checking often to make sure the water in the double boiler hasn’t evaporated. After you remove the cannabis, squeeze it thoroughly to get every drop of syrup out. Let cool and use in your drinks, or over a stack of pancakes for a morning buzz!

608 Bush Street Cocktail

Ingredients:

• ½ oz (15 ml) Absinthe
• ½ oz (15 ml) Infused Marijuana Maple Syrup
• ½ oz (15 ml) White Balsamic Vinegar (tangy and slightly sweet)
• ¼ oz Calvados (Apple Brandy from Normandy in France) or a domestic version of which there are many!
• ¼ oz Rye Whiskey of your choice (I used Barrell Whiskey)
• 3-5 shakes of a Creole Bitters of your choice (bright red in color, signifying great strength)
• Lemon Peel Twist
• Ice

Prep:

Add all the ingredients to a cocktail mixing glass filled ¾ with bar ice.

Stir 30 to 50 times to cool, but not dilute. Strain the liquid into a rocks glass.

Add the lemon or orange peel twist to the glass. Dot with a couple more drops of the Creole Bitters.

Serve to an appreciative friend! Never drink more than one or two at the very most in an hour. There is no rush to get where you are going. Always drink plenty of water to balance the effects of alcohol and never drink and drive!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

More Marijuana Mixology:

Three Classy Cannabis Cocktails from Warren Bobrow
Cannabis Cup Cocktail and a Malibu Mule
Four Winter Cannabis Cocktails

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