Try these festive cannabis-infused cocktails for the 4th of July

At the crux of the legalization movement, there are few better ways to celebrate freedom than with cannabis because for the first time since the 1930s, cannabis is legal in some capacity in more than half of the United States. As such, we teamed up with local hotshot bartender Nick McCleery to create three red, white, and blue canna-cocktails for the 4th.

This Independence Day, take advantage of your freedom with these sweet, summery cannabis-infused sippers designed to get you through the holiday weekend heat. All you’ll need is a batch of cannabis tincture and the ingredients below.

Each cocktail is designed to contain a standard recreational tincture dose of about 10 milligrams; use half of this amount if you are unsure of your tolerance, or if you are unsure of the strength of your tincture. The volume of tincture you add will vary depending on how concentrated it is; as a general rule, the more concentrated the tincture, the better it works for mixology.

OG Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients:

• ~10 mg worth of cannabis-infused tincture
• 1 ½ oz strawberries, diced
• 2 t sugar
• 1 ½ oz white rum
• 1 oz half-and-half
• Strawberry and mint sprig to garnish

Macerate strawberries and sugar in a bowl. Let sit for five to 10 minutes, then spoon into a rocks glass. Build white rum, tincture, and cubed ice over the strawberries, stir gently, top with cream, and garnish with strawberry. Slap mint sprig lightly between your palms and tuck into drink alongside strawberry. Serve with two straws for stirring.

Lemonade Haze

Ingredients:

• ~10 mg worth of cannabis-infused tincture
• 1 ½ oz vodka
• 1 oz crème de mûre (blackberry liqueur)
• ½ oz fresh lemon juice
• Lemonade to fill glass (≈3 oz)
• Lemon to garnish

Layer over cubed ice in a Mason jar: crème de mûre, vodka, tincture, lemonade, and lemon juice. Stir once to create an ombré look. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

MJ Mash-Up

Ingredients:

• ~10 mg worth of cannabis-infused tincture
• 4-6 blueberries
• 1-2 strawberries, sliced
• 1 T powdered sugar
• 2 oz bourbon
• Angostura bitters
• Mint and blueberries to garnish

In a cocktail shaker, muddle berries and sugar. Add bourbon, tincture, and ice, and shake until thoroughly chilled. Strain into a julep cup over crushed ice, top with more crushed ice, and dash Angostura bitters over ice. Garnish with mint leaves and blueberries.