How To Craft The Perfect CBD Cocktail

CBD + Your favorite cocktail? What's not to love? Enjoy these alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktail recipes on a special occasion. (Or just because!)

Enjoy something a little different on your next happy hour. We’ll walk you through the step-by-step of crafting the perfect non-alcoholic and alcoholic CBD cocktails. Using CBD tincture, gummies, and honey sticks, create your own craft cocktails that are just as fun to make as they are to drink. 

CBD and Alcohol: The Perfect Match?

CBD is still a relatively new product on the market. As such, doctors and other medical professionals don’t know much about how CBD and alcohol interact with each other. Since little is known about the combination, moderation is always recommended. When mixing CBD and alcohol, it’s worthwhile to stick to low doses of each ingredient. 

Despite a lack of information, however, researchers are slowly uncovering the potential effects of mixing CBD and alcoholic drinks. Here’s what researchers have discovered so far:

Enhanced Effects

Combining CBD and alcohol may enhance some of the sedative effects of either compound. Mixing both CBD and alcohol is associated with impaired motor skills and alterations in the sense of time. Both side effects are possible with either substance but are more noticeable when the ingredients are mixed. 

Potential Protective Effect

No one knows exactly what happens when CBD and alcohol are mixed. Some early evidence, however, suggests that CBD may have a protective effect against alcohol-related damage. Mixing CBD and alcohol is loosely associated with lower blood alcohol concentrations. 

Plus, the cannabinoid might prevent some of the cellular damage caused by excess alcohol consumption. Some researchers even suggest that CBD might help those recovering from alcohol addiction. Although, it’s still far too early to say with any certainty.

CBD Cocktail Essentials

Crafting the perfect CBD-infused cocktail takes a little preparation. Before you begin, here’s a quick breakdown of what you’ll need to purchase or make ahead of time:

Find the Right CBD

Believe it or not, crafting CBD-infused cocktails can be tricky. Simply spiking your favorite drink with a little CBD oil likely won’t work. While CBD products can dissolve in alcohol, the process can take a while. So, starting with the right CBD products is the only surefire way to be successful. 

Tinctures

Alcohol or glycerine-based CBD tinctures make for the best-infused cocktails. Alcohol-based tinctures are perhaps the easiest to mix; just add in your desired dose and shake your cocktail in a cocktail shaker. Oil tinctures will take longer to dissolve into alcohol. It may be beneficial, then to use gentle heat to infuse a glycerine-based tincture into a non-alcoholic medium. For example, if you’re making 

Garnishes

The simplest way to incorporate CBD into a mixed drink is with a thoughtful garnish. It’s easy to make a sugar rim or a gummy skewer using CBD-infused treats. The only limit is your creativity!

Gear

You don’t need fancy gear to impress a crowd with craft cocktails. You will, however, need a few materials:

• Skewers for garnishes
• Long spoon for stirring 
• Shot glass or jigger for measuring 
• Knife and cutting board 
• Drinking glasses 
• Ice

CBD Honey Syrup

One of the tastiest ways to infuse CBD into your cocktails? Homemade honey syrup. Honey can be difficult to mix into cocktails without first thinning out the mixture. Fortunately, making honey syrup is simple. Here’s how to do it:

1. Warm a small saucepan on low heat. 
2. Add equal parts CBD-infused Honey and water.
3. Continuously stir the mixture until the honey and water have been thoroughly combined.
4. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before adding to cold cocktails.

When working with CBD, always use low heat and remove your syrup before it reaches a simmer. CBD is heat-sensitive, and too much heat can ruin the delicate ingredient. To decrease the dosage of CBD in your simple honey syrup, supplement your syrup with regular honey.

Non-Alcoholic CBD Cocktails

You don’t need alcohol to have a good time. For those seeking a mild alternative, we’ve compiled a couple of CBD-infused recipes that are sure to inspire a mellow mood. 

CBD-Sweetened Arnold Palmer

There’s no mock cocktail better than a classic Arnold Palmer. Fast, simple, and an automatic crowd-pleaser, kick up this summertime favorite up a notch with a dash of CBD-infused honey. 

• 1 tsp+ CBD-infused Honey Syrup 
• Unsweetened Iced-Tea
• Unsweetened Lemonade 
• Ice

Optional garnish: 

Place a CBD-Infused Honey Stick, lemon, and a sprig of mint in each glass. 

Directions: 

Fill each glass halfway with unsweetened iced tea and halfway with unsweetened lemonade. Sweeten to your preference with CBD-infused honey syrup.

Non-Alcoholic Mule

Tangy, spicy, and refreshing, you can’t go wrong with a mule. For a non-alcoholic take on a classic favorite, simply mix together: 

• ¾ cup Ginger beer 
• ¼ cup Club soda 
• CBD Tincture
• Juice of 1 to 2 limes

Directions: 

If using an alcohol-based tincture, mix all drinks into a cocktail shaker, pour over ice.  Garnish with fresh lime wedges or citrus rinds. 

If using an oil tincture, infuse the tincture into lime juice by gently heating lime juice, a little water, and your desired concentration of tincture in a very small saucepan. 

Simply heat on low until all ingredients are mixed. Sir consistently. Then, allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before adding it to your cocktail.

Alcoholic CBD Cocktails

Looking for the real deal? These CBD-infused cocktails are simple to make, featuring common ingredients and fast preparation time. Just don’t forget the honey!

Tropical CBD Mule

Featuring a subtle sweetness and a kick of dried fruit, the Tropical Mule is an easy twist on one of the most popular cocktails around. Looking for something a little more classic? Leave out the pineapple juice and you’re good to go.

• CBD-Infused dried papaya 
• ¼ cup Pineapple Juice 
• ¾ cup Ginger Beer 
• 1 to 2 shots Vodka 
• Juice of 1 lime 

Garnish: 

CBD-infused dried fruit skewers. 

Cocktail Directions: 

For an added kick, mix in a little CBD tincture into your lime juice before serving. If using a glycerine-based CBD tincture, follow the directions for using a glycerine tincture listed above.

CBD Sugar Rim Margarita

This classic margarita recipe got a sweet update. Traditional margaritas feature a salt rim, but this sour delight uses a coconut sugar rim adhered with CBD-infused honey. The result is a sweet-and-sour combination with an extra relaxing bite.

• 2 shots Silver Tequila
• 1 shot Cointreau
• Juice of 1 to 2 lime
• CBD-infused honey
• Coconut sugar

Garnish: 

CBD Coconut Sugar Rim, Lime 

Garnish Directions: 

Spread coconut sugar onto a piece of parchment paper. Use a clean paintbrush or small pastry brush to gently paint the rim of a margarita glass with CBD-infused honey. 

Then, turn the glass upside down and carefully dip the rim on your sheet covered in coconut sugar. Coconut sugar is sweet but retains a lighter flavor than standard table sugar.  

Cocktail Directions:

Pour all cocktail ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Shake the margarita, and pour it into a garnished glass.

CBD-infused Bee’s Knees

The Bees Knees is a classic cocktail from the roaring twenties. Similar to a classic Tom Collins, this tasty beverage mixes gin, lemon juice, and honey to create a delightful sweet and sour beverage. 

• 1 tsp CBD-infused honey syrup 
• 1 to 2 shots Gin
• Juice of one lemon 

Directions: 

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain the ice while pouring your infused-cocktail into your glass.