Yes, you read that right—cannabis-infused vodka. And Humboldt’s “Finest” Vodka comes from none other than Humboldt County, home of some of the country’s finest cannabis.
But don’t confuse this stuff with your typical Green Dragon tincture. No, the folks at Humboldt Distillery decided to abide by California law and use only locally and legally grown hemp, which, in order to remain legal, must have a THC content of less than 0.3%. Sure, not enough to get you high, but the vodka’s 40% alcohol content should do the trick.
So why infuse it at all? Well, according to Abe Stevens, Humboldt Distillery owner and lead distiller, “As the vodka has grown in popularity, I’ve found more and more consumers asking us to add some of the ‘local flavor’ to our alcohol. That obviously wouldn’t be legal for us to do, but I couldn’t ignore the consumer demand. My solution was to come up with a compromise that captures a bit of that character without breaking any laws.”
And a solid compromise it was, as the addition of the hemp doesn’t just give the vodka a fresh cannabis scent, but also a rather herbal and aromatic quality more reminiscent of a fine gin than vodka, which would explain why Stevens recommends substituting it in place of gin for an herbal twist on some of your favorite classic cocktails.
