What party is complete without a few delicious drinks? For cannabis lovers looking to add a little festive flair to their party time, you may want to play bartender and serve your guests some signature cannabis cocktails. When you drink alcohol infused with cannabis, you experience the same psychoactive effects as you would when ingesting cannabis regularly—without having to sneak away for the all-too-known ”walk” outside with your cannabis-consuming cohorts. What’s also great is that you can add infused alcohol to a number of different recipes, we’ve added a few at the end of this article, but the sky’s the limit!

What to know about edibles and cannabis cocktails 

If you’re a fan of edibles then you know what they bring to the table. Each time we here at GrassCity write about we feel it‘s important to first discuss the powerful, often full body high that comes on slow and can last for several hours when consuming cannabis as opposed to smoking or vaping. But there are a couple dos and don’ts to keep in mind. The first has to do with pacing yourself. 

Edibles can take over an hour to kick in, so make sure to give yourself at least an hour to gauge the effects of an edible before you decide to increase your dose. This is especially important with cannabis cocktails not only because they also contain alcohol, but also because when you’re sitting with friends over a perfectly mixed libation, it’s easy to throw caution to the wind and go ahead and have a second round. 

With cannabis cocktails, you’re really going to want to pace yourself. You may also want to make a cannabis-free cocktail or two to accompany the THC-infused one, which you can polish off to slake your cocktail thirst without tossing back another stony serving of THC. 

The other key step we always mention is to remember to decarboxylate your weed. Or else all that hard work will be wasted! 

What is decarboxylation?

Decarboxylation is a process in which cannabis is heated up, converting the cannabinoid THCA into THC – the cannabinoid that will get you high. The process must take place in order to produce cannabis that can get you high just by ingesting it. 

To decarboxylate your weed, simply grind up the cannabis you’re using and heat it in your oven for about 30-45 minutes at around 220-245°F (105-120°C). That’s all there is to it. 

How do you make a cannabis infused cocktail?

Most cannabis cocktails can be made one of two ways, by adding a cannabis infusion like a tincture to a cocktail, or by mixing a cocktail with alcohol that has cannabis-infused directly into it.

If you’re one of many who’s joined the newly popular mocktail movement (nonalcoholic cocktails), the former method is your best bet as just a few drops of alcohol-based tincture is needed, which won’t be enough to experience the effects that come with alcohol. Or if you’re really set on eliminating any potential interactions with alcohol, we’ll include a recipe for a great cannabis-infused simple syrup that you can use in a wide variety of cocktail recipes.

If you plan on making cannabis cocktails on a regular basis, then infusing your own alcohol may be your best bet. With this method you can also choose your preferred liquor.

Alcohol Based Tincture Recipes

The Double Boiler Method

This method is straightforward and when the steps are followed correctly you’ll be left with an alcohol-based tincture that will be effective and will not leave you alcohol with an undesired plant-material taste.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 3-7 grams of decarboxylated cannabis 

• 750ml bottle of your liquor of choice or 100% pure grain alcohol

• Cheesecloth 

• Double boiler

• Thermometer and timer 

Steps

1. Grind and wrap your decarboxylated cannabis in a small piece of cheesecloth and tie it up. Do not grind it too fine so it doesn’t seep out of the cloth. 

2. Fill the bottom half of the double boiler about halfway with water and bring it to a boil and reduce heat to low.

3. Pour the liquor of your choice into the top half of the double boiler and add in the decarboxylated weed, stir and cover. 

4. Use your thermometer to keep a close eye on the liquid in the top boiler, which should not exceed 150-160ºF (65-71°C) and not come to a boil.

5. Let the mixture infuse in the double boiler for 2-3 hours and then remove from heat. 

6. Pour the alcohol infusion through a cheesecloth into a container and then use a funnel to pour the strained liquor back into the bottle.

There is a simpler way too... If you have time

Another very simple method is to let the decarboxylated cannabis steep for several hours in the liquor you plan to use. This is basically like making a cannabis tincture, and you should have better results with a higher proof alcohol.

1. take the decarboxylated cannabis that you want to use and chop it up finely (but not too finely) and wrap it in a piece of cheesecloth.

2. Place the cheesecloth wrapped cannabis in your bottle of liquor and let it sit for three days, shaking about once every 12 hours. (if it can’t fit into the bottle, use a mason jar)

3. After three days, strain through a cheesecloth and pour it back into the bottle. 

This method may leave your liquor tasting a little bit like plant material, but it should work nonetheless.  

Nitrous Oxide Infusion a.k.a. Green Dragon

Another effective, but arguably more complicated method is to use nitrous oxide to infuse your liquor. This method entails using a heat-tolerant whipped-cream whipper and a nitrous oxide charger to carry out a rapid infusion. The resulting byproduct is known as Green Dragon, a legendary concoction in stoner-lore.

Here’s what you'll need:

• A whipped cream whipping container

• Nitrous

• A double boiler

• Cannabis

• 250ml Your liquor of choice or 100% pure grain alcohol

• Cheesecloth

Steps

1. First, pour 250 ml of your chosen alcohol into the whipping container.

2. Place cannabis and rum in the whipper bottle (having the cannabis on foil or parchment paper would help make transferring into the bottle easier here).

3. Close container and charge with one canister of N2O according to the instructions.

4. Let sit for 5 minutes.

5. Vent out the pressurized gas.

6. Stir the mixture to allow all the remaining gas to bubble off. Let sit for a few minutes.

7. Place sealed container in a double boiler and let simmer for an hour.

8. Strain the solids out of the liquid and discard. The remaining liquid is your very own nitrous oxide-infused ”green dragon”.

What Alcohol Works Best?

While it may be your wish to use your favorite spirit, you should note that spirit’s alcohol content as that will predicate it‘s ability to absorb all the goodness cannabis has to offer. After a deep dive online across a variety of forums (shoutout to the GrassCity Tincture group) a lot of people like to use their favorite rum, whiskey, or vodka to make a tincture that is already the base of their go-to cocktail. A lot of seasoned tincture maker’s opt for even higher-proof spirits to ensure they’re getting the most out of the cannabis buds they are using.

Grain alcohol is a purified form of ethanol or ethyl alcohol. Grain alcohol has no added flavor, so it’s often called a “neutral spirit.” Like other neutral spirits, an alcohol derived from grain is clear, odorless, and almost flavorless, making it perfect for making cannabis tinctures. High-proof grain alcohol has an ABV of 75.5% to 99% or 151 to 190+ proof! The very high percentage of alcohol makes grain alcohol a perfect solvent for making a potent tincture packed THC and CBD.

Cannabis Infused Simple Syrup

This easy and tasty recipe is sure to be a big hit during the hot spring and summer months, it’s perfect for making anything you want a delicious cannabis drink. You can even add it to your favorite soft drinks and skip the cocktail making process. Cannabis Simple Syrup is sweet enough on it’s own, but you can also get creative and add all types of different flavoring. This recipe only takes a few ingredients, and just a little bit of time. You will end up with a perfect sweet syrup that is sure to become on of your favorite Cannabis Cocktail recipes (and more!).

This particular recipe we’ve found makes a big batch of syrup, but you can easily cut it down. If you decide to make a smaller batch this recipe is easy to cut down. For example, you will use 2 cups water, 2 1/4 cups sugar, and 2 tablespoons vegetable glycerin. You can also make a bigger batch, to fit whatever needs you have!

What you’ll need:

• 7-9 grams decarbed cannabis

• 3 1/4 cups white sugar

• 3 cups water

• 3 tablespoons food grade vegetable glycerin

Steps:

• Add 3 cups water to a sauce pan over high heat. Once the water is boiling, turn down to low/medium heat.

• Add your decarbed cannabis into the water and mix. Add the sugar into the water 1 cup at a time, stirring to dissolve the sugar before adding the next cup.

• Once you get all the sugar added in, cover and cook over low/medium heat for 20 minutes. Be sure to keep a close eye on it, and stir often. You do not want this boiling very much, keep it at a very low boil.

• After 20 minutes, remove the cover and add the vegetable glycerin in and stir to combine. (the vegetable glycerin is very sticky, so be careful with it, it will make a mess!)

• After adding the vegetable glycerin in, cook for 7-9 minutes. Be sure to stir the whole time. The mixture will thicken a little.

• After the 7-9 minutes, strain the mixture with a strainer and cheesecloth.

• Keep stored in the fridge, covered. Enjoy!

Fun Recipes We Think You’ll Love!

Before we have some fun, it’s worth nothing that not all tincture is made the same and dosage can vary greatly. For these recipes we’ll be basing it off a dispensary-bought tincture that has a total of 190mg per bottle. As the whole tincture has a net weight of 28 grams each, we can use a scale to weigh out one gram of liquid for a total of 6.78mg of THC. For these recipes we’ll use a dose of 3 grams of liquid each for a total of 20.61mg THC per drink. Of course you can make your own cocktails as strong or weak as you’d prefer. The same can be said if you are making mocktails and have made your own THC-infused simple syrup.

If you made your own cannabis infused alcohol or green dragon, disregard this as your alcohol is pre-infused, be wary of how much you drink.

Screwdriver / Sunrise

This recipe is great since orange juice is very acidic and it masks bitter or unpleasant flavors better than other ingredients. Though this is the simplest recipe on this list it’s also easily one of the tastiest. Consider adding a dash of grenadine to the mix to make it a “sunrise”. 

• 3 grams tincture or cannabis-infused vodka

• Orange slice

• Orange juice to fill

1. Measure out tincture and pour into a rocks glass

2. Add ice and fill with orange juice

3. Add orange slice to garnish

Gin & Chronic

Let’s take "Gin & Juice” to a whole new level...

• 3 grams tincture or 2 ounces of cannabis-infused gin

• About 6 ounces of tonic water 

• One lime 

1. Fill a chilled cocktail glass with ice

2. Squeeze one lime over the ice and pour in the gin

3. Stir well with a straw or spoon and add a lime wedge as garnish

The tart flavor of the lime is a must, but if it’s too much you can consider using half a lime or just lime wedges as garnish.

Tom Collins

Perfect for an afternoon enjoying the warm weather, the carbonation from the club soda will keep you feeling refreshed. 

• 3 grams tincture or cannabis-infused gin

• 0.5 oz simple syrup

• 1 oz lemon juice

• 4 oz club soda 

1. Add tincture, lemon juice, and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker

2. Pour shaker into a glass with ice cubes (get a collins glass for extra credit)

3. Fill with club soda

The Sputnik

This take on the Moscow Mule will send you into earth’s orbit!

• 3 grams tincture or cannabis-infused vodka

• 0.5 oz lime juice

• 4 oz ginger beer

• Add tincture and lime juice to a glass with ice. Fill with ginger beer.

Acapulco Gold

The Cuervo Gold, The Fine Columbian, Make tonight a wonderful thing...

• 2 ounces weed-infused tequila 

• 1 ounce orange liquor (Cointreau or Grand Marnier)

• 1 ounce fresh lime juice 

• Salt or Tajin for garnish  

1. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the tequila, orange liqueur and lime juice and shake

2. Take a margarita glass and moisten the rim with lime juice and holding it upside down, roll the rim in some salt or Tajin for a zestier flavor and appearance 

3. Strain the shaker into the cocktail glass and serve immediately