Cannabis Cocktails Debut In Reno Nevada

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From The Reno Gazette Journal
Cannabis Cocktails Debut At 1864 Tavern In Reno
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Johnathan L. Wright, Reno Gazette Journal Published Sept. 21, 2018

Call it a sip of things to come.

Earlier this month, 1864 Tavern of Reno introduced two craft cocktails built with terpenes — essential oils that give cannabis and other plants distinctive aromas and flavors (and effects).

1864 is one of a handful of bars in the U.S. serving terpene cocktails, said co-owner Dylan Evans, following the lead of Prank, the downtown L.A. bar that pioneered terpene mixology.

The craft cocktail revolution is well into its second wave, and terpenes (like superfood infusions and the return of the sidecar) lie at the leading edge of what's being shaken.

Mood enhancers

But shaken sparingly.

"Just a drop or two in the cocktail," Evans said. "You use terpenes like a bittering agent, not a mixer." If terpenes were used in large amounts, their astringent quality would overwhelm a drink.

As more states make recreational marijuana legal, bartenders are increasingly considering how to incorporate cannabis ingredients into their mixology (and how doing so might comport — or not — with a confusing scramble of state and federal marijuana laws).

Terpenes are not psychoactive, but they are mood enhancers, and that lift, enthusiasts say, makes them ideal for cocktail conviviality. Think of it as buzz on buzz.

Tart, then sweet

Botanists have identified hundreds of terpenes, with about 10 typically found in cannabis. 1864 is using limonene and pinene in its cannabis pours.

In the Lazy Daisy, pinene communes with Tanqueray 10 gin, chamomile ghum syrup, a spritzy amaro and fresh grapefruit and lime. The drink has a light, tart, citrusy appeal.

The Silly Wabbit mingles limonene, reposado tequila, cantaloupe juice, agave and fresh lemon. The cantaloupe juice creates at thicker, sweeter mouthfeel than the Lazy Daisy.

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Lazy Daisy cocktail
"We like to use tequila, because it's already a stimulant, so adding that stimulant on top of the stimulant on top of the mood booster, you're promising yourself a really nice night," said Dave Whitton, owner of Prank bar, in a recent video explaining terpene mixology.

Whitton, besides being a leading advocate for terpenes at the bar, also is a lifelong friend of Shawn Plunket, the other owner of 1864 Tavern. Whitton visited Reno to introduce the Lazy Daisy and Silly Wabbit at 1864.

What's in a name?

The cocktail names are deliberately whimsical.

"We wanted something that was rhyme-y and catchy and people would recognize immediately," Evans said. "We wanted to take some of the focus off the marijuana and put it on the health benefits of terpenes."

Some of those benefits cited by the cannabis industry include being an anti-inflammatory, being an anti-oxidant and promoting weight loss.

The terpenes used in the 1864 cocktails are created by BotanaVista, a company that's a project of Prank bar and Nevada Botanical Science, a Reno-based firm with a production complex in Panther Valley, northwest of the city.

The terpenes come in small cobalt blue bottles fitted with an eyedropper. Like the man said: All you need is a smidge.

https://www.rgj.com/story/life/food/2018/09/21/cannabis-cocktails-debut-1864-tavern-reno/1355014002/
 

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