A refreshing a healthy drink with a little something special
Living in close proximity to a fancy juice bar has pros and cons, like exorbitant rent. Sure a juice is a nice treat, but when they’re 6-10 dollars a pop, you’d be better served making your own for a fraction of that cost and pocketing that cash for rent or weed.
RELATED: Chilly? Make Some Marijuana-Infused Hot Cocoa
Cannabis users and juice lovers sometimes overlap, and combining the two loves into a tasty beverage is so much better than store bought cannabis “juices”. It’s also nowhere near as bougie when you make it at home. The DIY spirit is still strong in the weed community and in this case, you don’t even need a fancy juicer, you can use the old fashioned kind, or even an everyday blender. Why not refresh and re-up with this cannabis infused beet lemonade?
Earthy beets, a juice shop staple, are not only super healthy, they add a savory-sweet-dirt-like umami taste to almost anything they rock with. Lemons are a no-brainer pot pairing. The fragrant compounds in lemons are also stress-relievers and help keep a too-potent high under control.
This variation gives you all the flavor with dramatically less sweetness. It also blesses you with the kick of weed that’s got the equivalent of an afternoon tea.
Beet Lemonade
By Danielle Guercio, 2017
(Makes 2 servings)
- 4 Lemons
- 4 Small Beets (or One medium/Half a large)
- ½ tsp glycerin tincture*
- 2 Tbs sweetener of choice (I used demerara sugar)
- 1” nub of fresh ginger (optional)
- Water (sparkling or still)
- Ice
Cut lemons and squeeze juice into a pitcher, use a strainer to catch seeds. Quarter beets and immerse in lemon juice, add a splash of water if needed to make sure they’re covered in liquid. Slice and add ginger if desired Allow to infuse for at least 1 hour, can infuse overnight.
Strain and add cannabis tincture and sugar, stir until dissolved Divide the mixture into two glasses with ice Top with water or seltzer and lightly stir Garnish with a lemon peel, lemon wheel and beet leaf for some extra pizzaz.
*To make Glycerin Cannabis tincture:
In an oven-safe container double sealed with foil, decarboxylate 3.5 grams finely ground cannabis at 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Put cannabis in a mason jar or vacuum sealed bag, pour over 2 oz vegetable Glycerin and seal tightly. Place in a water bath at just under boiling for 1 hour. Strain and keep contents in a sterilized container. Stores indefinitely in freezer.
Infusions are so easy to make and have way less cleanup than true extraction juicing, but you can always juice the above ingredients and follow the same steps for adding the weed. Always add your tinctures after straining fruits or pulp, you don’t want any potency to be held in waste.
This juice is also great drank straight as a shot, and it can be used as a cocktail mixer too! You can even to get weird and make quick pickled things like onions for taco night or carrots for a fun appetizer, the lemon juice will tenderize most veggies after a few hours.
Photos: Danielle Guercio
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