CBD Cocktails: the new drinks trend for 2024?

CBD Cocktails: the new drinks trend for 2024?

As ‘hangxiety’ becomes a buzzword and the world slowly starts taking more care of its mental health post Covid, CBD cocktails is a trend that drinks writer and broadcaster Helena Nicklin is sure will explode in 2024. You read it here first! 

As a big fan of CBD in oils and sprays and with over twenty years experience in the drinks trade, I was utterly delighted to discover the joy that is CBD cocktails recently. Intrigued by how the combination of booze and CBD might work, I took a deeper dive into this emerging drinks trend, speaking to mixologists and CBD experts before having a go at making some myself. Here’s what I discovered:

CBD: What’s in a name?

CBD, short for Cannabidiol, is a non-psychoactive compound that’s found in various strains of Cannabis sativa plants. It is often confused with TCH (Tetrahydrocannabinol), which is a different compound; one that is psychoactive and therefore does get you high. Incidentally, ‘hemp’ is defined as a Cannabis sativa plant with 0.3% or less THC, while ‘marijuana’ is one that contains more than 0.3% THC. 

The Benefits of CBD

When extracted and used alone, CBD can help regulate our bodies to great effect. Those like me who take CBD in canned drinks or as drops under the tongue do so not because of what it makes us feel, but what we realise that we are no longer feeling after taking it, i.e. a sense of anxiety and stress. I find my shoulders drop and my breathing deepens. It’s calming and soothing without the jitters, false euphoria or the ‘pour decisions’ one can make with alcohol. While this is great, it is not the only benefit: 

CBD increases the levels of our natural endocannabinoids, optimising the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is our largest neural network and is responsible for moderating and controlling our moods, stress responses, sleep-wake cycles and metabolism. As an antioxidant, CBD is also said to help protect cells from damage and potentially support brain health and cognitive function. It can improve digestion and significantly help with chronic pain and insomnia too as well as alleviate symptoms of depression with next to no negative effects. When you look at it like this, it’s a wonder why we’re not all sprinkling it on our cereal every morning. But what happens when you add booze?

Combining CBD with Alcohol

Like CBD, alcohol makes you feel relaxed, but very quickly, it can start to cause problems from slurred speech and memory loss to aggression, cell damage and of course, hangxiety the next day. I spoke with Thomas Decan, F&B manager at the Do Not Disturb Speakeasy bar at the bottom of the Vintry & Mercer hotel in London about why they decided to add CBD cocktails to their list:

“By adding CBD to a cocktail, it can give a more balanced experience, where the calming effect of CBD complements that of the alcohol and enhances the social aspects of drinking,” he said. Thomas also told me that combining their single strength, Holistic Herb, Premium CBD oil with regular cocktail ingredients “adds unique flavours so we can create exciting new, complex taste profiles”; something highly sought after in craft mixology.

Even though more research is needed on the combination of CBD with alcohol, a lot of work has already been done and published by the likes of the National Center for Biotechnology Information in the US, which suggests that including CBD in your cocktail may mitigate some of the harmful effects of the alcohol itself. This includes feeling relaxed but not horribly intoxicated and not suffering with hangxiety the next day. It can also apparently have a protective effect on the brain and liver.

CBD in Cocktails: 

It’s important to note that alcohol damage will still happen when you drink it, so adding CBD is never an excuse to over-consume thinking you’re protected. The effects of combining the two can also vary a lot from person to person depending on tolerance, metabolism, the strength of the specific CBD product and the dosage of it. After all, the concentration you can find in an average 15ml bottle of CBD oil can be as little as 100mg all the way up to 2000mg. Beyond that, there are much higher strengths available up to 10,000 or beyond for more serious degenerative problems such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons or even tumours. You wouldn’t just pull these off a shelf in Holland & Barrett though.

CBD use is also cumulative. Just like statins, antidepressants or medications used to treat autoimmune disease, you’ll see the effect once you start building the levels up in your body rather than in just one single dose of them. What this means is that any effect you might feel in a cocktail could well be negligible if the dose is fairly low and you haven’t been taking CBD anyway. And if you have been taking it, ask how much is in each there so it can form part of your dosing routine. The good news is that given the relatively low amounts likely to be in a cocktail, whether you feel it or you don’t, it’s probably not a bad thing to have some CBD in there!

Buy - Bitters & Oils

OTO CBD Bitters 100ml (1,350mg CBD)

(Link) £34.30 down from £49.

A seriously delicious, botanical blend of cocoa, cinnamon, liquorice, lemongrass and lime, infused with premium, pure CBD. I have this in water and hot chocolate too. 

Trip Orange Blossom CBD Oil 15ml (1000mg CBD)

(Link) £25 down from £39.

A fresh and tasty blend of premium CBD, MCT oil and natural adaptogens infused with chamomile and orange blossom. Great for cocktails or just under the tongue. 

Try - DIY Recipes

La Vie en Rose

Fill a mixing glass with ice. Combine 40ml of rosewater and 1tsp honey, then pour into the glass over ice and add 3 dashes of OTO CBD bitters (or your regular dose of CBD oil) and stir to cool. Strain into a coupe glass, top up with your sparkling wine of choice and garnish with an edible rose petal or bud. Delicious and classy. 

Peach Ginger Highball

Fill a highball glass with ice and pour in 25ml or Vodka or Cognac (whichever you prefer). Top up with Trip’s Peach Ginger Sparkling (link) as the mixer and give a gentle stir to combine. Garnish with a slice of peach or ginger - or both! 

Visit - Bar

Do Not Disturb at Vintry & Mercer hotel (link). 

Bar manager Ciro Coticelli has created the stunning ‘Putting on the Ritz’ cocktail, which includes CBD with clarified Camus cognac, Grand Marnier, carrot, citrus, cassis liqueur and kumquat sugar oil. I also loved the ‘Spiffy’ which comes shaped like an ice cream cone and combines CBD with Rittenhouse whiskey, Cherry Heering, Amontillado, raspberry syrup and chocolate bitters. 

Helena Nicklin is an Award-winning drinks writer and broadcaster. Find her on socials @HelenaSips. 

Rittenhouse whiskey, Cherry Heering, Amontillado and raspberry syrup, chocolate bitters, CBD.