DIY Recipes: 5 Cannabis Cocktails for New Year’s Eve

2018 is coming to an end, and that means celebrating everything that we’ve accomplished over the past year—legal adult-use marijuana for one—and looking forward to what’s coming in 2019—hopefully legal cannabis edibles.

There seems to be no better way to mark the closing of this groundbreaking year in cannabis history than by celebrating New Year’s Eve with your favourite cannabis cocktails.

Now, a slight disclaimer before we go any further: By cannabis cocktails, we really mean cannabis mocktails. Mixing alcohol and cannabis typically isn’t a great idea since the alcohol heightens the effects of the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the cannabis—to the point where you may not even make it to midnight.

RELATED: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MIX ALCOHOL WITH THC

You’ll also appreciate these drinks the morning after when you’re feeling fine, and all of your friends are desperate for the perfect hangover remedy.

So, with that out of the way, let’s take a look at five cannabis-infused cocktails you can have to toast 2019.

1. Ring In the New Year With This Marijuana Take on the Classic Mimosa

I’m sorry, but you can’t really celebrate New Year’s Eve properly unless there’s a champagne flute in your hand. So, if champagne itself is something you’re avoiding, you can still ring in 2019 the right way by having a champagne flute filled with this delicious, classic cannabis mimosa.

RELATED: 5 TIPS FOR HOSTING A CANNABIS DINNER PARTY

How to Make a Cannabis-Infused Marijuana Mimosa

1. In a champagne flute, add 2 parts orange juice, 1 part ginger ale, and 1 part limeade.
2. Add a dropper-full of your preferred cannabis oil to taste. (You can adjust the amount of cannabis oil according to your preference and tolerance. This goes for all of the mocktails on this list.)
3. Garnish with an orange slice.

2. Keep it Canadian With This Cannabis Version of the Caesar

Of all the great things Canada has given the world, the Caesar definitely ranks high up there alongside Ryan Gosling and insulin. Since 2018 is a year that we can be especially proud to be Canadian (because of, you know, that whole legalizing cannabis thing), it seems only appropriate that we close out the year with this most Canadian of cocktails.

How to Make a Cannabis-Infused Caesar

1. Salt the rim of a tall glass with celery salt.
2. Add ice to about half of the glass.
3. Throw in a splash of tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, a dropper-full of cannabis oil, and salt and pepper, and stir.
4. Then fill up your glass with clamato juice.
5. Finally, top it off with a stalk of celery and a lemon wedge.

3. Just Pretend Winter Isn’t a Thing With This Marijuana Margarita

Let’s acknowledge a less than delightful fact about spending New Year’s Eve in Canada: It’s cold—inhumanly, Godforsakenly, why-did-anyone-ever-think-building-a-country-here-was-a-good-idea cold.

Whenever the weatherperson comes on TV and gives me an update about how long I can spend outside before my skin freezes, I do one of two things: look up the cost of flights to Cuba, or go into complete denial and make myself that most tropical of drinks: the margarita.

Since New Year’s Eve falls right in the dead of winter, this cannabis margarita is really the best way to enjoy your night and pretend that all of that white stuff outside is just the glare of the sun on a white sand beach.

RELATED: 7 OUTDOOR WINTER ACTIVITIES ENHANCED WITH CANNABIS

How to Make a Marijuana-Infused Margarita

1. Salt the rim of the glass and fill it about 2/3 of the way with ice.
2. Add limeade to a little less than half the glass.
3. Then add equal parts orange juice, lemon-flavoured carbonated water and lime-flavoured carbonated water.
4. Add a dropper-full of cannabis oil, garnish with a lime and say, “Hello Margaritaville; goodbye wind chill.”

4. Keep Things Spicy With a Cannabis-Infused Moscow Mule

I’ve always thought a great winter cocktail should have a little spice to it. This makes the Moscow Mule the perfect winter drink. The name also kind of underscores the whole winter theme—although truth be told, the Moscow Mule was born in New York City and nowhere near Russia.

While a true Moscow Mule will include a hefty amount of vodka, you can get rid of the alcohol and replace it with cannabis with the following recipe.

How to Make a Cannabis-Infused Moscow Mule

1. Fill a highball glass with ice.
2. Fill the glass halfway with ginger beer then a quarter of the glass with club soda, and finally top it off with simple syrup and lime juice.
3. You can make your own simple syrup—it’s easy: just mix 1 part water and 1 part sugar—or you can also buy some from the grocery store.
4. Add a dropper-full of cannabis oil, stir and pour into a copper mug.
5. Garnish with a couple mint leaves and enjoy.

5. All Great Cocktails Should Be as Sweet as This Delicious Cannabis Strawberry Daiquiri

The key to turning a great cocktail into a great mocktail is choosing a recipe that’s not so heavy on the alcohol, but big on the sugar. That’s what makes this strawberry daiquiri such a perfect fit for your New Year’s Eve celebration. Plus, any drink that’s bright pink seems like it was made for a party.

How to Make a Cannabis-Infused Strawberry Daiquiri

1. In a blender, add 6–8 ice cubes, 2 cups of fresh or frozen sliced strawberries, 1/4 cup of lime juice, 1/4 cup of simple syrup, and top with a dropper-full of cannabis oil.
2. Blend and add water or ice to achieve your desired consistency.
3. Pour into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a single strawberry.

There you have it—the perfect cannabis cocktail recipe collection to make this New Year’s Eve the perfect way to bid adieu to 2018, while giving a hearty welcome to 2019.

Photo credit: Melissa Walker Horn