Recipe: Strawberry Sativa Smash

It’s mid-April, and spring has officially sprung—there is still a snow cap on Mt. Hood, a few scattered showers now and then, and lots of strawberries available at your local farmer’s market. And for all those cannabis consumers, that means 4/20 is upon us. So, let’s have a drink!

This simple smash combines some of the best spring and summer ingredients the Pacific Northwest has to offer, plus that bottle of body warming bourbon that’s still hanging around from your long hibernation through the long COVID winter. Although alcoholic, it is packed full of vitamins and minerals with bright lemon and fruity berry terpenes and some mellowing, cannabis-infused whiskey.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Yield: 1 drink

Total THC/CBD: Varies

From the cannabis pantry: Cannabis-infused bourbon. (I use the MagicalButter MB2E Botanical Extractor, available at rosinpower.com for $130.99).

Strain recommendation: Strawberry Cough

Equipment needed

• Rocks glass
• Muddler
• Cocktail shaker
• Jigger
• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board

Ingredients

• 2 ounces cannabis-infused bourbon
• 1½ ounces simple syrup
• 2-3 lugs of orange bitters
• ¼ lemon
• 2 very ripe strawberries, hulled
• 1 strawberry (halved)
• 2 fresh cannabis leaves
• Crushed ice

1. Combine the fresh lemon and whole strawberry in the shaker. Using the muddler, thoroughly mash the two ingredients until the juices combine.

2. Add 1½ cups ice, bourbon, simple syrup and bitters to the shaker.

3. Cover and shake vigorously until the shaker has frosted over.

4. Pour contents into chilled rocks glass. Garnish with a half a fresh strawberry and cannabis sativa leaves.

Chef Sebastian Carosi is a Portland culinary professional with more than 25 years in the restaurant and hospitality industry who has been cooking with cannabis since the mid-’90s. He shares most of his terpene-fortified recipes on Instagram: @chef_sebastian_carosi.