Some things just go together. Like peanut butter & jelly, French fries and ketchup, or beer and a joint…
It may not be for everyone, but for those who like the combination of drinking alcohol while also consuming cannabis products, there isn’t much better than a nice brew with a puff on the side. So good is the combination, in fact, that one of the growing trends for CBD ingestion, is infusing it into beer and other alcohols. Not a joint with your beer, but a joint IN your beer!
Hops and CBD are known to have many similarities, and often offer the same health benefits including being used for anxiety and sleep. Plus, many say the flavors of the two compliment each other well, with different strains of CBD contributing different flavors and scents that go well with the flavor and aroma of hops.
There are many ways of ingesting CBD these days from taking the oil straight, eating candies, using suppositories, smoking, vaping, as a cream, etc. One of the interesting aspects of a CBD-infused alcoholic drink is that it actually comes closest to the most widely used application of medical marijuana that prevailed just prior to the laws changing in the early 1900s. This was to extract and preserve the medicinal constituents in alcohol. Though the process is not the same when making beer, the use of alcohol for tinctures and infusions has been well known as one of the best methods for medicine absorption in the body as well as a way to preserve the elements within for long periods of time.
And in this case, of course, it comes with a craft beer!
Some interesting products in the CBD-infused beer industry:
Coalition Brewing out of Portland, Oregon created this India Pale Ale as a light, bitter, and refreshing beer which contains 3mg of CBD per 12oz glass.
Buffalo Soldier Hemp Ail
The first hemp infused beer to be brewed in England by Stockton Brewing Company is a Blond Ale containing hemp oil. No doubt this will be starting a new trend in the UK.
Put out by Lagunitas Brewing Company in partnership with AbsoluteXtracts this IPA is brewed with cannabis terpenes sans THC. The first batch went quickly, but more should be coming soon.
Long Trail Brewery’s Medicator Beer
From the small ski-resort town of Killington, Vermont, this limited-time running American Pale Ale was a collaboration between Long Trail Brewery and Luce Farm which offers 15mg of CBD per 12oz serving. The Ale contains CBD infused honey and grated ginger to create a sweet yet zesty drinking experience.
Although CBD infused beer is gaining popularity, there are still many laws in many places preventing it from becoming a large-scale operation. As laws change overtime, way more of this can be expected in a variety of strengths and flavors. So, if a beer and a smoke is your thing, keep your eyes out for new CBD infused beers and enjoy the combo thoroughly.
