One of the earliest uses for hemp and CBD after the substances were legalized was to incorporate them into beverages, including alcoholic cocktails and other creative applications.
Early 2019 police crackdowns and other factors resulted in the reduced prominence of mixing CBD into drinks, but new avenues have opened up to keep the enthusiasm going strong. Hemp and CBD are legal agricultural products, and now many think distilling could offer new opportunities for their upsides.
Many users of CBD turn to it for anxiety relief, like how a stiff one might calm the nerves. Those who seek out the combination often consider it the perfect match.
Depending on the flavoring of the CBD oil extract, the addition of the ingredient can lend an entirely new twist to a drink that’s become a well-known favorite for many bartenders and drinkers alike.
CBD oils come in tons of flavors like mint, lemon and apple and when you count the combinations of other flavors used to make cocktails, the choices are extremely varied.
After industrial hemp was legalized in late 2018, bartenders at some of the most cutting-edge spots in the U.S. started experimenting with CBD in drinks. Health officials soon discouraged the practice and in some localities even outlawed it.
Still, new guidance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently being reviewed by the White House and many legislators, farmers and retailers hope CBD will soon be re-classified as a dietary supplement to let ordinary folks sell the all-natural plant compound without being harassed.
For SoNo1420 Whiskey, the earthy and nutty flavor of CBD are a selling point in new distillery recipes, according to Denver’s Westword.com.
“We’re using hemp seed in our mash bill, fermenting that mash and then distilling it,” SoNo1420 Founder Ted Dumbauld told Westword. “Hemp seed is an oil seed with a nutty flavor, so our whiskey takes on a fuller mouthfeel resulting from the oil in the hemp seed and a complementary marzipan/nuttiness on the finish of the whiskey."
According to Syracuse.com, another company hoping to combine its distilleries and industrial hemp farming capacity is Beak & Skiff, which has produced wine and spirits for over 100 years.
“Innovation is in our DNA,” Beak & Skiff president Eddie Brennan said. “We’re always talking about diversification on our farms, to help balance the ups and downs of the apple business.”
The company is now using its distilleries to create hemp-based hand sanitizer amid the shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it isn’t alone.
Nothing But Hemp, the premiere retailer of organic CBD and hemp products in Minnesota, also pitched in by working with its partner Minny Grown CBD to craft hemp sanitizer for first responders dealing with COVID-19.
Sources
[1] https://www.westword.com/marijuana/hemp-seed-whiskey-11707107
[3] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/veritas-farms-inc-announces-expanded-114626624.html
[4] https://www.nothingbuthemp.net/post/mixologists-are-using-cbd-in-cutting-edge-cocktails
