January—the turn of the new year. Our time to downshift, or maybe rev up. Our time to come down—or is it take off? Our time to detox and… ooooh, maybe dry out. We had a lot to celebrate in January — like our 7th anniversary! — so we raised a few glasses of champagne (or for me Guinness!) to celebrate our journey.
Many of us here at Irie Bliss are looking forward to Dry February instead (bonus: it’s shorter!) Every now and then, we love giving our system a little break. We sleep better, we eat less, we enjoy our mornings more.
So we’re turning to a few awesome mocktail recipes to get us through. To add even more goodness, we’re gonna add some of our Water Soluble CBD. Read on to explore the benefits and see why you should be adding water soluble CBD to your drinks!
What is water soluble CBD?
Regular CBD oil, in a tincture for example, is fat soluble—not water soluble. This means, in terms of bioavailability, it needs a fat (olive oil, chocolate, butter) to increase the absorption rate into our system.
But a fat soluble CBD tincture will not dissolve in liquid, because it is looking for a fat to hitch a ride on. A water soluble formula allows the cannabidiol to dissolve in liquids and be better absorbed into your system.
I always have a bottle of water soluble CBD at the ready. It is so versatile and easy to take on the go. I add it to morning smoothies, chai or coffee lattes, pretty much anything. Including the mocktails below.
Why should you add CBD to your drinks?
CBD has been shown in many studies to help with anxiety, depression, PTSD, energy, pain relief, addiction, and more. It can have a calming effect or energizing effect, depending on the formula. Choosing the right spectrum formula and terpene complex blend is important so do your research before choosing CBD gummies for sleep (when it might have an energizing daytime formula).
For the recipes below, we are using our Apothecary Care 1200 mg Water Soluble CBD, a full spectrum formula leaning on CBD, THC, CBT, CBG and CBN, among other cannabinoids. Full spectrum means it contains trace amounts of THC, which can assist in the entourage effect (a broad spectrum formula does not contain THC).
The terpene blend of our water soluble CBD contains mostly caryophyllene oxide, geraniol and alpha-bisabolol making it a well balanced formula good for daytime or evening use.
How to measure CBD
CBD tinctures tend to come in small glass bottles with squeeze droppers. There are two things to look for on CBD labels— volume and concentration. Volume - usually in milliliters - is how much liquid is in the container. CBD concentration will be noted in milligrams— for example 300 mg, 600, 1200mg, etc. The higher the number, the higher the CBD concentration in the formula. For CBD tinctures, the total number of milligrams is usually (but not always) divisible by 30, because of the 30 ml bottle.
Standard tincture bottles (about 2” tall) tend to hold 30 ml of liquid. We should note here though, that this varies, so definitely read the label and understand what you are purchasing. (All Irie Bliss brand tinctures are 30 ml so we’ll discuss in these terms for the purposes of these recipes).
FYI! 1 ml = 1 dropper of a standard 30ml tincture
3 CBD mocktail recipes to try
Now the good stuff. Sure, we could have seltzer with lime and bitters, but why not amp things up a bit? Here are 3 delicious CBD mocktails we’ve got in rotation right now. Bottoms up and cheers to health and wellness!
SKINNY MOSCOW MULE
A lighter version on the copper mug fave.
8 oz ginger lime seltzer (sub ginger beer, if you're OK with sugar)
Juice from 1/2 lime, fresh squeezed
1 ml water soluble CBD
Mint leaves and lime for garnish
Directions: Fill a pint glass (or copper mug if you have one) full of ice. Pour seltzer over then top with lime juice and water soluble CBD and stir well. Garnish with a lime wedge, mint leaves and a fun straw.
FYI: Standard tincture droppers hold 1 ml when full.
CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO MOCKTINI
Kick off Valentine’s night right.
2 oz espresso, cooled
1 oz half and half (or cream substitute of choice)
1 oz chocolate syrup
1 ml water soluble CBD
Cocoa powder and coffee beans for garnish
Directions: Fill a cocktail shaker full of ice. Add all liquid ingredients and shake well, at least 15 seconds. Strain into martini glass or low ball glass. Sprinkle a pinch of cocoa powder on top and a few espresso beans.
BLOODY MARIWANNA
Brunch will never be the same.
6 oz quality bloody Mary mix (we like Zing Zang and Tabasco brands)
1 tablespoon pickle or olive juice
1/2 teaspoon horseradish (more to taste)
Cracked pepper
Couple dashes of hot sauce (optional)
1 ml water soluble CBD
Optional garnish: celery, olives, dilly beans, pickles, carrots, lemon, lime
Directions: Add all liquid ingredients, horseradish, and fresh cracked pepper to a cocktail shaker and shake well. Pour over ice into a tall pint glass. Garnish with veggies or pickled things as you see fit.
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*Offer valid through 2/29/24.