Enjoy a trending summer cocktail with an unexpected twist
There are trending summer dresses, banger viral songs that dominate parties, and a drink of the season each year. No one can argue the impact of the Aperol Spritz and Espresso Martini in the last few years. Because of this success, many seek the best cocktail of 2024, and the crown hasn’t been claimed yet.
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Despite no victor rising to the top, experts and publications have made predictions. Entertainment royalty Martha Stewart claimed that the summer cocktail would be the Batanga, originating in Tequila, Mex. Meanwhile, Better Homes & Gardens predicted fellow tequila beverage The Lone Ranger. Food & Wine opted for a flower child classic, putting bets on the Lemon Drop for summer 2024.
So far, none are true. Many are sticking with a personal cocktail order or trying something off of a seasonal, artisanal menu. Meanwhile, a trip to a lounge isn’t complete without sighting at least one sweating red goblet and a chocolate brown martini. The favorites of the past few years have stayed strong, while newcomers are rising in the ranks–but no cocktail has made a splash big enough to claim the summer.
With all this talk of trending cocktails, those who don’t drink alcohol or are consciously Cali sober may be asking why all the emphasis is placed on alcoholic drinks. This is especially true now that there is such extensive access to cannabis seltzers thanks to hemp THC, powder mixes, and other infused drinks. It is probably because of the rich history and vast dictionary of cocktail recipes.
Let’s borrow from that recipe list and twist some trending summer cocktails into weed mocktails.
Batanga
Martha’s recommendation, the Batanga, is a simple recipe that relies on quality ingredients. This cocktail includes tequila, cola, and fresh lime juice in a salt-rimmed glass. When translating this into a weed drink, stick to superb components. Grab imported Mexican cola and opt for weed alcohol over adding cannabis to the mixer.
California brand Mxxn sells a Jalisco Agave that serves as a THC-rich tequila replacement. Those in other states may prefer to mix in a non-alcoholic spirit like the tequila alternative from Ritual Zero Proof. In this case, add cannabis using a tincture or mix-in powder.
Find the original Batanga recipe here.
Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger cocktail was created by Portland, Ore. bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler. It is also simple and tequila-based but would be best infused differently. This cocktail requires only four ingredients: Blanco tequila, lemon juice, simple syrup, and a dry sparkling wine.
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Reimagining this drink as a cannabis mocktail isn’t hard. There are two avenues to add in some THC (or another cannabinoid). Infusing simple syrup is, well, simple. Add the herb to the mixture as the sugar and water boil, and watch the green magic happen. The sparkling wine is another Trojan Horse ingredient for adding in cannabis. THC and hemp seltzers make adding weed to drinks a piece of cake. As for the tequila, opt for the Ritual tequila linked above.
Dirty Shirley
As the first cocktail of the year prediction to minorly flop, the Dirty Shirley evokes nostalgia in Millenials who ordered the cherry-topped effervescent drink as children. It was also named the summer cocktail by the New York Times in 2022 to even less success. But that doesn’t mean it is not good. The Dirty Shirley is a take on the Shirley Temple, a non-alcoholic mixed drink crafted in the 1930s and named after the precocious child star.
This one is simple to virginize because it started as a mocktail. Making it a weed drink requires going back to its roots. A traditional Shirley Temple is made with lemon-lime soda or ginger ale, grenadine, and maraschino cherries. Make it a weed drink by replacing the soda with an infused cannabis soda like the Lime Wild Mint flavor from Happi. It may not have ever ascended to the drink of the summer like it has been predicted, but now the Shirley can be dirtied by THC, too.
Lemon Drop
According to Food & Wine, the 1970s-era Lemon Drop should be trending any day. Vietnam veteran Norman Jay Hobday created this cocktail in 1970s San Francisco, and it soon became a favorite for its sweet, tart flavor. A Lemon Drop is made with vodka, triple sec, lemon juice, and simple syrup with a sugar-garnished rim.
Swapping cannabis products for alcohol may be the most complicated for the Lemon Drop, but it is possible. For the vodka, consider Three Spirit Livener, which has a balancing flavor with a welcome bite. Infuse cannabis into the simple syrup, and consider using orange syrup in place of Triple Sec. These three changes easily infuse a Lemon Drop for those who choose this as their summer mocktail.
Cocktails of the summer with a THC twist
There’s no need to wait for experts to claim a winning summer cocktail. The person sipping from the glass chooses the real winner. Try some of these recommended favorites of 2024, see what fits, and use these tips for a cannabis twist. Those who choose to play with cannabinoids do not overdo it.
Also, make sure everyone knows about the switcheroo. Nobody should accidentally consume cannabis drinks they find at a gathering. Then they wouldn’t realize why they felt so good.
