Because the flavor of this craft cocktail has everything to do with the buzz, I want to make sure that the person who enjoys this drink is filled with reverence for the holiday that they call Cinco de Mayo.

I think the holiday of Cinco de Mayo is more of a good excuse to get happy than the actual meaning of the day — as far as I know it’s the Mexican Independence Day — but for all intents and purposes, its Tequila & Weed Day for me.

And the way that I think involves infusions — not tinctures or oils, or dare I say those things they are putting in cocktails called CBD drops. Hemp is what that is. Not at all what I work with, so please don’t expect it.

It’s so important to draw attention to the decarb step when making infused spirits with cannabis. The decarb step is heating the cannabis in an oven or, in my case, I use the Ardent decarb machine. Never have I burned a batch! It’s foolproof, unlike my toaster-oven that fluctuates 20-30 degrees according to my commercial grade oven thermometer.

And because the flavor of my craft cocktails has everything to do with the buzz, I want to make sure that the person who enjoys this drink is filled with reverence for the holiday that they call Cinco de Mayo.

Tequila certainly is the weight that will take your palate to other places. I cannot recommend any one brand — no one in this space has given me permission to use their spirits with cannabis — so I won’t be saying any names. Others are more sensitive about this and I respect that.

I can recommend to use an Anejo or Reposado tequila for your infusion. They have darker colors overall from the bourbon oak casks that age the tequila until it is just so.

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I like to do a very basic infusion: decarb and then using an ISI whipped cream dispenser, filled ¾ with the tequila of your choice. Add the amount of cannabis that you want to infuse. I would make sure that the cannabis has been tested for pesticides and herbicides — you wouldn’t want to drink them! I’d also want to know how much THC is in the mix. There are many ways to do this. I won’t belabor this. You know how strong you want your medicinals to be.

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1. Decarb your cannabis then grind well

2. Add to an ISI whipped cream maker

3. Add the tequila of your choice

4. Charge with two whippets of N20 (Nitrous Oxide)

5. Shake lightly and let sit for 2 or so minutes between each blast, then vent into a towel

6. You probably won’t want to breathe it. Don’t.

7. Strain the cannabis infused tequila through a cheesecloth and squeeze out all the liquid wearing rubber gloves (otherwise you’ll get super stoned)

8. Bring volume in tequila bottle up to 750ml with fresh tequila

9. Mix funky craft cocktails with your THC infused tequila

Mexican Cinco-de-Mayo Canna-Punch

Ingredients for a crowd

• 1 bottle of your cannabis infused Tequila of your choice
• 12 oz. Grapefruit Soda (I prefer Fruitations Ruby Red) and Cocktail Syrup
• 1 qt. freshly squeezed orange juice
• ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 bottle of sparkling rosé (Mexican rosé if you can get it!)
• aromatic bitters

Prep:

Add all the ingredients including the sparkling rosé to a punch bowl. Stir well. Ice with a large chunk of ice. Service in Victorian-style tea cups, poured from a ladle. Garnish with fresh mint (slapped against your palm to release the oils) and aromatic bitters. Yum!