Weed Weviews: 4 Things I Tried in February

Welcome to Weed Weviews, a verbal foible that’s become the very real name of this monthly column. Think of it like our Doin’ Beers series, but for weed. All right! Let's do this!

Bar Diver’s THC Negroni

About: Bar Diver is a Minneapolis brand founded by South African transplant Joe Heron. Info on the company is sparse, but it looks like they started out making bottled cocktails and mocktails, and have now added a variety of what they call “non-alcoholic THC coquetels.” 

Where I got it/price: I picked this up for $8 at Marigold.

Flavor: You know, I don’t drink real negronis at bars; I sometimes have allergic reactions to gin. But I gotta say, “phony negronis” are becoming my go-to NA cocktail. This one doesn’t have the juniper flavor of gin, but it really captures what I like about the drink’s other strong ingredient, Campari. There’s a sweetness tempered with bitterness here that I really dig. 

Blast-off time: About 30 minutes.

Experience: The bottle contains 5mg of THC, which is pretty standard these days. It’s a nice little treat for folks who feel like having an adult beverage, but don’t want to end the night with a drink made from three different types of alcohol.

Tetra’s Hibiscus & Orange Peel

About: Bauhaus is known for their tasty brews and their super colorful (and spacious) location in northeast Minneapolis. We’ve reviewed their THC bevvies before, but this new drink is a collab with neighborhood NA shop Marigold. Cans have 5mg of THC and 15mg of CBD.

Where I got it/price: $6 at Marigold. That’s pretty cheap!

Flavor: This one is more about the smell than the taste. As soon as I cracked open the can I was greeted with the fresh, realistic scent of orange followed by a hint of… spice? A bit of cinnamon? Nutmeg? It was a good smell, regardless. Interestingly, this brew doesn’t taste like orange; I would describe it as a watered down fruit punch with a slightly floral and/or cherry ChapStick-y aftertaste. I know all of that sounds questionable, but I did find it to be easy drinking and overall tasty.

Blast-off time: About 20 minutes.

Experience: For me, 5mg is on the lighter side of dosages, but when you add that CBD it boosts things into a “higher” range, since the CBD gives a nice body high. Drink half the can, wait 15 minutes, then drink the other half while in a bubble bath.

Flipside’s THC-Infused Drink Additive

About: Local ma-and-pa THC shop Flipside carries all kinds of THC and CBD products, including their in-house brand. They also sell $5 vinyl, and every product comes with a QR code that takes you to a Spotify list curated for that item. Neat! You can read more about Flipside in my recent profile. 

Where I got it/price: I was gifted this at a recent trip to the store, but a pouch goes for $4.50 a pop or $16 for a pack of four.

Flavor: Tastes like weed! That green flavor disappeared when I added this to some off-brand carbonated water with a splash of orange juice, but I also tried a bit straight from the bag because I was curious. I think a lot of people won’t like it straight, and it's not made to be consumed that way, but if you like wheatgrass shots (I do!) you might enjoy just drinking it solo (I honestly would do it again, sorry not sorry!).

Blast-off time: Although this packet contains 5mg of THC per bag (and 25mg CBD), I was told this stuff is legit strong, and it was recommended I start with just half. I think that’s good advice; I found that it comes on fast (which I actually really like). I found myself adding the second half about 30 minutes later and had a nice evening chill.

Experience: OK, I just got a PS5 and I have been playing Stray. So I drank this, then promptly got lost in a dystopian city where I, an orange tabby, was tasked with making a blanket/shawl for a hypochondriac robot. Good times.

Flying High’s Ecto Chill

About: Northeast Minneapolis distillery/restaurant Earl Giles sells a variety of stuff for your bar at home, including mixers, elixirs, syrups, and tinctures. Under Flying High they also put out a variety of THC drinks, too. 

Where I got it/price: At Flipside, where it goes for $7 for a can or $26 for a 4-pack set. 

Flavor: This Ghostbusters-y blast of nostalgia is not going to be for everyone, but if you’re in the mood for a ridiculously green drink that tastes like Mountain Dew or the sweetest orange juice you’ve ever had in your life, you will love this. Actually, I bet the sweet spot this hits could make it a really nice post-workout Gatorade-type of treat.

Blast-off time: OK, I cracked this buddy open after a day of trudging through the snow while running errands. I was fading, fast. I slammed this because I was thirsty and it was super invigorating like a Capri Sun, so it hit me fast… probably 10-20 minutes? The 10mg of CBD in this made for a really good night’s sleep, too.

Experience: Delightful. This is another 5mg’er, but when paired with sugar and the zest of citrus this gave me the second wind I needed to hang with friends for a bit.