The Mysterious Cannabeer

“A tincture was made by decarboxylating cannabis flowers in the oven, then quickly infusing it in neutral grain spirit at a very cold temperature.”

Brewers love weed. I didn't know that before legalization, even though I spend lots of time around the beer scene. Since the curtain came up, it's been amazing just how many of the people involved in the Portland beer scene are also deeply immersed in cannabis culture.

The maker of an Oregon-made bud-infused brew we'll call the Mysterious Cannabeer is one of them. We can't be any more specific than that, because he or she could lose his or her license and livelihood for making this unmarked bottle of dark ale infused with a tincture made from fresh Sour Pineapple flower.

That, of course, would be ridiculous. I had only a small pour, but the result was pleasant and mostly confined to realizing just how fucking weird every Katy Perry video really is. Like, does the plot of "Dark Horse" actually revolve around her eating a magical Flamin' Hot Cheeto?

Anyway, it was great. This was not a homebrew, and showed the rounded edges of commercial-quality brew. The fruity scent of the Sour Pineapple played beautifully against the sweet dark brown ale. So I asked the brewer in question how he or she made it.

It's something he or she has been experimenting with for years "in an effort to get both good flavor and good effects." This particular batch started with a good crop of Sour Pineapple from a friend. The secret is to turn the flower into tincture, and then blend that tincture with beer before bottling so the flavors can meld together in your cellar.

"A tincture was made by decarboxylating cannabis flowers in the oven, then quickly infusing it in neutral grain spirit at a very cold temperature," he or she said. "The tincture was then added directly to the beer."

How much? He or she is not exactly sure.

"I never weighed it, but the tincture was quite potent, so each bottle only needed about 5 milliliters," he or she said.

It's a product I could see a lot of people seeking out, but there's no hope for that just yet.

"I doubt any of us are seriously considering this as a product we can sell because the [U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco] Tax and Trade Bureau is obviously nowhere near allowing the combination of alcohol and cannabis," he or she said. "Even without selling a cannabis-infused beer, there is some fear of being linked to it at all to avoid triggering an audit or other unwanted attention from the TTB."

Which is why we can't tell you much more.

But if you happen to overhear talk of such a beverage, follow up with questions of your own. If you have a source, it's worth seeking out.

UPDATE: Our web editor drank the rest of the bottle–like half of glass from the bottom–and she got really, really high.

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