THC margarita + salt + ice cubes = no need for booze
Here’s a simple three-staple recipe that we spotted on display at Great Barrington Dispensary in the Berkshires. (Alternatively, you can add booze, making for four ingredients, but with this concoction it’s unlikely you will need the extra buzz). It’s as simple as pouring a THC-infused cocktail over some THC-infused ice cubes and garnishing with THC-infused salt.
And yes, all of that stuff really exists. We came across them all in our travels this year.
As HighTide President Josh Grab explained in an interview with Talking Joints Memo, when he and partner Shea Coakley began considering potential beverage niches, they “landed on margaritas because it’s the country’s number one cocktail.” And in part thanks to their visibility in 2023, as well as the Cannarita from Novel Beverage Co., the reception has been similar in the Mass grass market.
Here’s how we like ours …
The margarita
Here’s Grab on how HighTide arrived at the three flavors the company currently offers: “[First] it was classic margarita, then we wanted to have a spicy diablo, and then we wanted to have something that was a little more fruit forward. … Watermelon [which HighTide ultimately picked as the third] is super hard to work with; we use natural watermelon and all-natural ingredients, and it’s a very difficult flavor. But now, our number one flavor is watermelon. Classic is right behind that, but we do have stores where the diablo is their top seller.” Any of the above will do for this recipe, so take your pick.
The ice cubes
With 10 small cubes per tray for a total of 50 mg of THC, we consider these translucent nuggets from Hydration Kitchen to be among the most casual and convenient delivery methods around. Made from natural fruit juice and distilled water, they mix in slowly and evenly. We threw the plain ones in everything from Red Bull to spiked seltzer to coffee, and used the lime and lemon cubes for mocktails and cocktails including margaritas, and also in plain water, sometimes five or more at a time. Trust us—if the idea of infused ice seems silly at first, your skepticism will disappear along with your first 10-pack.
The salt
We like all the spices from the folks at Left-Handed Brand via 4Front Ventures. Their entire product line melts in your mouth, with something to sprinkle on dinner, breakfast, and lunch plus snacks. Their most practical offering for everyday caffeine sippers are probably Left-Handed’s infused sugar packets (as well as their sugar with cinnamon option), which come in convenient 5 mg foils to add to your Folgers, but for your margarita topper you will want to try their flaky seasoned salt. About 10 mg should cover your rim.
