Cannabis tinctures are one of the most convenient ways to consume a concentration of cannabinoids discreetly. Tinctures also have an accelerated onset, especially compared to traditional cannabis edibles like cookies or brownies. These subtle differences and distinctive qualities make tinctures a must for micro-dosers, edible enthusiasts, and discreet cannabis consumers looking to remain incognito.
Below are, in my opinion, 10 beverages worth a few drops of tincture. Before you try adding tinctures to a drink of your choosing, remember that setting and dosage are key. Tinctures are very easy to titrate, dose properly, because they usually come in a dropper bottle. Find out how many drops set you at your desired buzz by administering a dose directly and letting the tincture rest under your tongue for as long as comfortable before swallowing. This should help the tincture absorb more quickly into the bloodstream, expediting the onset.
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1. Coffee
Note: Tinctures infused with chicory, vanilla, orange, or ginger are excellent options for this kind of beverage.
Cannabis and coffee are old companions in the Pacific Northwest, with the combination often affectionately referred to as a “Seattle Speedball.” Caffeine can help counteract the somewhat drowsy effects of cannabis, but beware, as the jolt of energy from caffeine in conjunction with some strong sativa can be overstimulating for some. (Luckily, most tinctures are not strain-specific.) To combine the two, either infuse milk with your preferred tincture in a saucepan or add some tincture to your perfect-temp coffee.
2. Tea
Note: Tinctures with an especially strong cannabis flavor or that are infused with peppermint, ginger, or lemon work well in this beverage.
Tea is enjoyed and consumed for a variety of personal and medicinal reasons. By design, tea is comprised of an assortment of botanical ingredients that are dried and combined to create certain flavors and aromas. People also drink it for a variety of health reasons, such as ginger or mint tea for digestion, chamomile for sleep, black tea for energy and alertness, or green tea for antioxidants.
While THC is not water-soluble, a tincture will still swirl about in your hot, brewed concoction and add a little something special to your tea of choice. If you plan to add cannabis to your tea bag or tea infuser, make sure it is decarboxylated already (use ABV, or already vaped bud, or freshly decarbed cannabis out of the oven).
3. Hot Chocolate
Note: Almost all the same tinctures that go well with coffee will go well with hot cocoa.
Hot cocoa might be the best hot beverage on Earth, in my humble opinion. Plus, since hot chocolate is made with milk (whole milk if you do it right), cannabis can be easily infused into this beverage. It’s as easy as adding a dropper or two of tincture to your freshly poured cup of hot chocolate, or simply infuse your milk with decarboxylated cannabis, strain, and stir in chocolate. For a little extra punch, add a half-ounce of peppermint schnapps or coffee liquor to your mix.
4. Smoothies
Note: Smoothies benefit from all types of tinctures, but complement your fruit or vegetable-based beverage with an extra drop of fruit-forward tincture to add a subtle, grassy dimension.
Smoothies are a great way to enjoy the health benefits of fruit and vegetables without having to actually eat them. Personally, I add a dollop of Greek or soy yogurt to my smoothies, alongside a variety of juices (like apple or orange) and an assortment of frozen fruits. Drop your tincture in right before mixing and enjoy. This will allow the tincture to incorporate smoothly throughout your pitcher or personal beverage.
5. Mocktails
Note: A tincture’s flavor infusion will predicate its usefulness in a mocktail. Trying to make an Old Fashioned? A dash of citrus-forward tincture will add a zesty nip to the mocktail. Is your tincture floral and herbal? Try adding a touch to a fine botanical-infused gin. In the right measure the flavors and aromas can be sensational!
Mocktails are a wonderful new way to enjoy a fancy beverage without the addition of alcohol. The composition of a good cocktail is balancing the sweet, sour, bold (usually alcohol-based) flavors with one another, and that can easily be done without the addition of spirits. Add your tincture directly to your cocktail or cocktail shaker, and go to town on your cannabis-infused mixers!
6. Cider/Seasonal Drinks
Note: Add some spice to your cider brew with the addition of clove or cinnamon-infused tinctures.
Each season has its own set of beverages: Summer has punches and umbrella drinks; spring has mint juleps and palomas; fall has cider and hot toddies; winter has eggnog and hot buttered rum. A tincture goes well in any of these drinks, hot or cold. Bring cannabis to whatever season you’re surviving through with a dropper or two of tincture in your next beverage.
7. Milkshakes
Milkshakes are a great way to get fat on ice cream and love every damn minute of it. This naturally rich beverage masks the flavor of cannabis extremely well, making a milkshake the perfect treat to share with cannabis-curious folks who dislike tinctures’ bold, concentrated flavor.
8. Soda Water + Squeezed Juice
Note: Try and match your tincture infusion to the squeeze of juice you’re using for a double dose of sweet or sour.
Making your own soda has always been pretty easy, but with the rise in popularity of La Croix, Talking Rain, and the SodaStream, quality, low-calorie carbonated beverages are almost always in reach. A dropper of tincture with a squeeze of lemon or lime always adds an enjoyable zing to plain or flavored soda water.
9. Drinking Vinegar + Water
Mocktails and cannabis beverages are nice, but they sometimes lack the zip or punch of a real cocktail or beer to elicit that satisfied sensation. Drinking vinegar, a flavorful and tart beverage concentrate, is an excellent and refreshing replacement that can be added to filtered water (bubbles optional). Add a dose of tincture to the mix and you’ve got your own Asian fusion-inspired beverage that is both unique and satisfying.
10. Bubble Tea
Bubble tea (or milk tea) is a weird and wonderful beverage with gummy balls at the bottom of it. This sweet beverage has a fun mouthfeel and unique flavors you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. Bubble teas are usually sealed with a plastic top and then punctured with a massive straw to slurp up the tapioca balls at the bottom. This straw is also big enough to squirt dose of tincture through, adding a boost of cannabinoids to your fun and flavorful beverage.
