We all know what stone fruits are — peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots and other tree fruits that have a large seed or stone at their heart. Many of these fruits are in season during the summer and provide a great way to get your daily fruit serving. What, then, are ‘stoned’ fruits and why have they become so popular this summer?
Stoned Fruits
Marijuana may still be a Schedule One drug in the eyes of the Federal government, but that hasn’t stopped states across the country from legalizing it for both medicinal and recreational purposes. While the psychoactive ingredient THC doesn’t pair well with alcohol, mixologists in states where marijuana has legalized find that CBD, the non-psychoactive component in cannabis, works beautifully in cocktails — and thus, the Stoned Fruit was born.
This stoner-friendly cocktail is the brainchild of Mexican restaurant Gracias Madre in California. The eatery has sold cocktails laced with CBD for a few years now, but this super tasty drink is one of their newest creations. It pairs mezcal, an agave-based liquor similar to tequila, and Aperol, a rhubarb liqueur, with yuzu juice, apricot liqueur and muddled seasonal stone fruit — usually plums, nectarines or apricots, depending on what’s in season at the time – to create a sweet, tasty cocktail.
The secret ingredient is, of course, a CBD tincture, but the tincture that Gracias Madre chooses is what sets this drink apart from other CBD cocktails — they don’t try to hide the naturally skunky taste of the marijuana. If you’re not a fan of the flavor, you can get tinctures that don’t taste like cannabis, but the natural taste works perfectly with this particular drink recipe.
CBD Benefits
Why is mixing CBD with alcohol becoming such a trend in states where the drug has been legalized? Cannabidiol, otherwise known as CBD, has a variety of benefits on its own, even when not paired with a tasty cocktail, including:
- Pain Relief — CBD has both analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, and many people choose to use it for pain relief because it doesn’t come with the ‘high’ of smoking marijuana or using oils or edibles with high CBD content.
- Anxiety Symptoms — Studies have shown CBD can be effective for treating anxiety symptoms.
- Insomnia — Some strains of low THC cannabis have shown to help treat insomnia symptoms and other sleep issues.
- Cancer Symptoms — Cancer treatments are harsh and can lower patient quality of life. CBD can help cancer patients manage symptoms like insomnia, nausea and pain to help them improve their comfort during treatment.
- Neuroprotective Properties — Some studies suggest that neurological conditions, from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s to epilepsy, may be treated with the use of CBD oil.
You don’t have to pair your CBD oil with alcohol to get the benefits, but it can help to mask the taste so you can enjoy your drink without worrying about the skunky taste of marijuana tinctures.
CBD Cocktails
If you’re not in California, don’t fret — you can still mix up your own CBD cocktails at home. Here are a few recipes to try, though you can always change these up to suit your own tastes.
You could always mix up an apricot smash — muddle an apricot or your favorite stone fruit and mix it with some agave nectar, lemon juice and bourbon. Top it off with a few drops of cannabis oil, and you’ve got your own stoned fruit cocktail. For an extra smoky flavor, you can always grill the stone fruit before you muddle it for your drink. The smokiness of the grilled fruit pairs perfectly with the flavor of your favorite CBD oil.
Try mixing mezcal and CBD oil with coconut milk, pineapple juice and lime juice for a silky cocktail. The secret ingredient in this drink — which is served at the Madison in San Diego, is matcha green tea, and the tropical fruits and earthy green tea perfectly compliment the flavor of the CBD oil.
You can always skip the oil entirely – Humboldt’s Finest has created a cannabis-infused vodka that’s perfect if you want the aroma of cannabis without the THC or CBD. Havana Beach in Rosemary Beach, Florida pairs this vodka with triple sec, lime juice and soda with a bit of local honey for sweetness. It’s tart and tasty.
5th & MAD in New York has its own cannabis cocktail — the earthiness of the gin and chartreuse pairs perfectly with the cannabis oil. Add some Midori, simple syrup and juice from lemons and limes, and you have the perfect cannabis cocktail for any party.
There are only a few restaurants currently selling cannabis cocktails, but if marijuana is legalized on the federal level, that might change in the not too distant future. In the meantime, mix up a few of your own and tell us about them!
