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.
Tattersall’s Functional Tonics
About: You know these folks for their locally distilled spirits, their now-closed northeast Minneapolis cocktail room, and their fun canned cocktails. Now they’ve got a line of THC tonics you can order online.
Where you can get it: A PR rep sent this to me, but you can buy them online for $60 a bottle (there are about 25 servings in each) or in a cute little sampler pack for about $14.
Flavor: “Uplift” has an herby, citrus taste to it with a bitter tang at the end; “Unwind” is blackberry forward. While you can certainly drink ‘em straight, I wouldn’t—adding a dose or two to sparkling water has been my preferred method. Think of them as the bitters or syrup you would use to enhance a cocktail or a coffee.
Blast-off time: 20-ish minutes.
Experience: I rarely buy alcohol for my place, so I’ve been turning my liquor cart into a stoner cart, and these bottles look really nice on it. “Unwind” has an iridescent purpley unicorn thing going on while “Uplift” looks like sunshine in a bottle.
I love that you can control how much you add to your drink (there are handy dosing tables on the label ranging from a teaspoon for a microdose to an ounce for a 4 mg-er). I also like that, like a bitter or an aromatic, you can add it to drinks you already know you like, so you’re never stuck downing some weird-flavored soda.
I will note that both contain a little bit of CBD so you’re going to get a little more of that body buzz. “Uplift” also has lion’s mane, which can give you a caffeine-like kick. “Unwind,” blessedly, does not have melatonin (too many THC sleep products have a stupid amount of the stuff), instead relying on CBN and passion flower for calming effects.
Fizzy Jane’s THC Seltzer
About: This joint is from Tilray, an NYC-based corp that specializes in medical and recreational marijuana, beer, and other canned and packaged goods that are sold globally. Of their 45 or so brands, I recognize Hi Ball (energy drink), the Humble Seed (crackers), and Sweetwater, Montauk, and Shock Top (beers).
Where you can get it: A PR rep also sent me a sampler pack, but I’m seeing them online on their official site for about $18 a four-pack. Mount Royal Bottle Shoppe in Duluth also has ‘em for about $14, if you want to save a few bucks.
Flavor: Pretty good! These taste like classic soda flavors but not overwhelmingly sweet since they’re low-cal. They also smell and taste a little bit dank, which I know some people appreciate (I’m fine either way, frankly). The vanilla cream reminds me of those New York Seltzers they sold in stores when I was a kid, and the lemon-lime variety is like a grown-up Sprite.
Blast-off time: The standard 15-20 minutes.
Experience: There’s a quote on the can: “Open up your best life. Just add Jane’s.” I’m not sure my best life cracked open when I drank these. That’s a lot to put on a mass-produced beverage—or any consumable product that isn’t my anti-depressant—but these come in 10 mg that get the job done, and that’s all I ask of them.
Herb Garden Co.’s Gummies
About: This Minnesota company makes gummies using only natural ingredients. Right now they have two products: a blackberry/lavender sleep gummy and a raspberry “day stoner” gummy, which is what I tried this month.
Where I got it: I found these on the top shelf of the locked cabinet at Marigold’s for $25, but they’re also sold at Da Spot as well as a variety of locations out in the ‘burbs and beyond.
Flavor: Jammy! I’ve got no complaints here, other than it made me want toast. This is a nice, full-body raspberry flavor.
Blast-off time: About 20-ish minutes. Gummies can take a tiny bit longer to work since they have to dissolve a little more in your stomach.
Experience: Smooth and easy. This buddy is a 5 mg-er of THC with a 20 mg pat of CBD, so for me it was a nice little relaxation session.
Buz Pop’s Vanilla Cream Soda
About: Hot damn, I was excited to try this one. Minneapolis-based No Coast is making some of the best tasting stuff out there. Their Pâte de Fruits (fancy gummies) and Polvérones (little crumbly Filipino cookies) are really good, and the Concord Grape soda I tried in August was so good I already know it’s going to make one of my “best of” lists.
Where I got it: I got mine at Marigold’s, but I also see it at Hemp House for $5 a can.
Flavor: OK, whoa. This is very interesting. It doesn’t taste like a classic can of vanilla cream soda. It smells like a cocktail. Like, something warm with brandy in it (that must be the vanilla?). It also… tastes like a cocktail—maybe something pretty and girly that comes in a coupe glass? It’s not what I was expecting, but I like it. Folks who love a good mocktail might love this. It’s complex and interesting and very adult. “Cali sober” folks might want to avoid this flavor though—it really tastes and smells like an alcoholic drink.
Blast-off time: 20-ish minutes. I savored this like a cocktail, unlike the grape flavor, which I downed like a juice-loving child.
Experience: The can doesn’t lie: This is a 10 mg-er.
