I’ve made my living for the better part of seven years in the liquor space. With that said, I’ve noticed some real changes in that traditional world of intoxicants over the past year or so. After being tolerated for a few years, the large liquor companies are having serious misgivings about being too friendly with the cannabis family. Perhaps this is because the ongoing stigma that hovers just over the periphery in every illicit transaction outside of the “three tier system.” You see, the liquor industry has been permitted to print their own tickets since Prohibition, under the watchful gaze of the government. Taxation is a powerful determinate with broad reaching implications.
The venerable Wall Street firm Cowen and Company has been assessing financial risk for over a century in the traditional financial space. Is it no surprise that they now have a metric to do “deep-dives” on the implication of cannabis sales, in the legal arena, against craft beer sales? Yes, they do. So the major drivers of industry are paying attention too, because if they don’t, they have no one to blame but themselves. The up swell appears to be too strong.
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From a flavor prospective, agile companies are developing new flavors and ways to use these ingredients in a safe and non-antagonistic way. Smoking leaves an odor that can be irresponsible in public, especially in places that are less than legal or tolerated.
I believe that mixing cannabis with a responsible amount of alcohol can be a wonderfully pleasant experience. And if I do take a bit too much, I’m man enough to be able to drink some lemon juice, chew a peppercorn or two and I know that I’ll be better. I’ve never met any mythical creatures or dead family members crawling up my leg- while enjoying edibles. It’s important to note that scare tactics are no way to change the world.
We can do that by being responsible and offering alternative methods that, at first, may seem obtuse and unacceptable, but travel across the Atlantic Ocean was once deemed to be insane as well.
Cannabis is still misunderstood as a medicinal substance. I didn’t write the book to hurt anyone. My technique is simple and I truly wanted to share my passion for flavor and folk (holistic) healing.
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It just happens to be that my favorite toast is: “Here’s to what ails ye!” This is true in many more ways than you would have expected it, especially in the Cannabis space. I always hope to make no wake- it helps me become better at being me instead of trying to re-work the wheel.
Louis Armstrong’s Way Fizzy
(makes 2 drinks and a bit more)
- 4 oz. Clement Rhum Agricole “Canne Bleue”
- ½ oz. Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 1 oz. Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
- 1 oz. Fruitations Soda and Cocktail Syrup- Tangerine
- ½ lime cut into chunks
- 4 oz. Ginger Beer Soda (sugar cane based, never corn syrup based)
- Angostura
To a Boston Shaker: Fill ¾ with ice. Add the Rhum Agricole and the Fresh juices. Add the Fruitations Syrup. Cap and shake hard until frosty. Muddle the lime in a rocks glass or two. Add a couple cubes of ice. Pour over the contents of the Boston Shaker. Finish with about 2 oz. of the Ginger Beer Soda over the top of each glass. Stir. Dot with Angostura. Serve.
