5 Cannabis-Infused Winter Warming Beverage Recipes

Key takeaways.

It’s getting colder and colder, fellow Canadians. And lockdown blues are upon us again. Without much socialising to keep our spirits warm this winter, it’s nice to know that cannabis is on our side. Whether you’re reaching out to cannabis at the moment because of the stress caused by another lockdown, or whether you’re looking for new ways to nourish your creativity in lockdown, we’ve got some winter warming recipes for you.

Did you know keeping warm isn’t just about blankets, heaters and down jackets? There are lots of herbs that you can incorporate into food and drink that can hep your body stay warm. Cayenne pepper, cloves, and cinnamon, for example, all increase blood flow (especially to the peripheries), and can help your body stay nice and toasty during winter.

A lot of those herbs also happen to have antidepressant qualities — helpful for a cold winter spent indoors with little socialising. 

There’s no better time to get creative in the kitchen than right now! Here are our 5 best cannabis-infused winter warming beverage recipes.

1. CBD-infused spiced chai.

Spiced chai is the perfect way to feel warm and digest after dinner. Lots of the herbs in chai are digestive carminatives, so they can help food digest better. They’re also super warming, keeping the blood moving throughout your body. 

Adding CBD makes your chai the perfect way to relax in the evenings in front of the fire with some tunes. Add a higher dose to make your tea a little more sedative as the time for sleep arrives.

What you’ll need:

• 1 ml Faded Cannabis Co. 1000mg CBD Tincture (or 1000mg CBD tincture of your choice)
• A small piece of ginger, sliced
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp black peppercorns or a pinch of powdered black pepper
• 3-4 whole cloves
• 2 cardamom pods
• Black tea or a black tea alternative (such as roasted dandelion root)
• Milk of your choice
• Sweetener of your choice (honey is the best, followed by brown sugar)

The method:

1. Grind all the dry herbs in a spice grinder or in a mortar and pestle. 
2. Add the dry herbs to a small saucepan with 2 cups of water and 1 cup of your choice of milk.
3. Bring to the boil. Allow to simmer, uncovered, for at least 5 minutes. Be mindful your pot doesn’t overflow when the milk starts boiling!
4. Remove from the stove and strain.
5. Add 0.5-1ml Faded Cannabis Co. 1000mg CBD Tincture and sprinkle a little cinnamon on top.
6. Enjoy in front of the fire!

2. THC-infused spiced mulled wine.

Who doesn’t love a good mulled wine during the winter? Wine is one of the most warming beverages on the planet, and when you throw in some cinnamon and apples, it’s even more tasty and sweet. 

To those who are really excited about this recipe, we urge you to dose low with THC while you consume alcohol. Consuming too much of either can lead to bad things, but when you mix them together, the effect of both is potentiated. Small doses go a long way to help feeling relaxed, warm, and happy. But too much, and there could be nothing relaxing going on.

This is the perfect drink to share with housemates or those who you’re allowed to socialise with at the moment. It’s a way to say cheers in a safe way during this very unusual time in human history.

What you’ll need:

• Faded Cannabis Co. 1000mg THC Tincture (add on serving)
• Inexpensive red wine (you can use white, but red is more appropriate for winter)
• Brandy or a liquor of your choice (you can use rum or vodka, too)
• A whole orange, sliced
• A handful of dried cranberries
• A handful of blackberries
• An apple, sliced
• 10 whole cloves
• 2 whole cinnamon sticks
• 10 star anise
• ½ cup of brown sugar, maple syrup or honey, depending on how you want to sweeten it. Feel free to ditch the sweetener if you’re not into it

The method:

1. Dump all the ingredients except for the THC tincture into a saucepan or a slow cooker.
2. You need to simmer the wine for around 10-15 minutes to infuse all the flavours. However, you do not want to boil it as this will boil off all the alcohol. Keep it on a low simmer, or if you’ve got a slow cooker, keep it on the lowest setting.
3. To serve, ladle into wine glasses or mugs but be sure to strain while pouring through a tea strainer. You don’t want to be swallowing cloves and dried berries while drinking your wine.
4. Add your desired dose of Faded Cannabis Co. 1000mg THC tincture. We recommend adding 0.25ml (12.5mg THC) to each cup.
5. Enjoy and feel toasty.

3. Cannabis-cayenne Mayan hot cacao.

Chocolate lovers — it’s time to celebrate. Cayenne pepper was traditionally added to cacao brews to make cacao stronger. The spiciness also happens to be perfectly warming.

We recommend consuming cacao in the mornings as it’s highly stimulating. Even more so when cayenne pepper is added to the mix. This is the perfect way to start a day. This beverage is all together warming, stimulating, and antidepressant. It’s a great way to get your creative juices flowing for a day spent inside or to lift the heart if you’re stepping out for work.

What you’ll need

• 1:1 Sativa Cara-Melts by Twisted Extracts
• 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder (you can use instant hot chocolate mix, but this won’t have as many therapeutic properties as raw cacao)
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• A pinch of cayenne pepper
• Maple syrup or brown sugar to sweeten
• Marshmallows if your heart desires

The method

• Mix the raw cacao powder, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper in a saucepan with 2 cups of water. 
• Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for 3-5 minutes
• Add your sweetener to taste
• Pour, and while still hot, add 1-2 Sativa Cara-Melts to the cup. Stir, allowing the Cara-Melts to dissolve into the cup.
• If you desire, you can add milk, but it’s not necessary at all. Add marshmallows to the top for pure indulgence.

4. CBD-infused warm winter negroni.

Even if negroni is usually the perfect summer cocktail, there is a way to turn it into the perfect winter cocktail. This is a recipe for the alcohol connoisseurs out there and the ones who don’t mind taking a little extra time to make a truly sensational beverage. 

The reason we chose CBD for this recipe is because this warm winter negroni is so delicious, it truly deserves its own flavour without the addition of the taste of cannabis. Thanks to the release of Sunnyside’s Nano CBD tincture, you can add CBD to your beverages without even the tiniest hint of cannabis taste. Plus, the fact that it’s water based means it dissolves easily and instantly into your beverage.

We love this recipe, and we think you will too.

What you’ll need:

• 1ml Sunnyside Botanicals 300mg Nano CBD Tincture (per cup)
• 200g caster sugar
• 1 orange, thinly sliced (around 5mm per slice)
• 2 oranges juiced
• 1 tablespoon juniper berries (omit if you don’t have them)
• 1 cup gin
• 1 cup red vermouth
• 1 cup campari
• Ice cubes to serve

The method:

• Lightly oil a non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
• Dip the orange slices in caster sugar, being sure that both sides are dipped in
• Cook the orange slices in the frying pan for around 3 minutes or until dark and caramelised. Transfer to a lined baking tray to cool.
• Put juniper berries, orange juice, and the remaining caster sugar in a small saucepan. On low-medium heat, stir the ingredients until the caster sugar has been completely dissolved. Continue to cook for 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens.
• Add the gin, campari, and vermouth to a jug and mix well. Add ice cubes to each glass and divide the alcohol mixture among glasses.
• Top with the syrup.
• Add 1ml Sunnyside Botanicals 300mg Nano CBD Tincture per cup

5. Hot n’ spicy pineapple and ginger punch. 

This punch can be alcoholic or non alcoholic, depending on how you want to have it! It’s a perfect afternoon drink that keeps you warm thanks to the ginger kick. Because it’s perfect for the afternoon, we recommend using Faded Cannabis Co.’s 1000mg 3:1 Halley’s Comet Tincture. It’s the perfect hybrid for an afternoon, and it’s got more CBD than THC so your mind can stay alert and engaged.

This is a great recipe for the sweet tooth and for those looking for a healthy afternoon beverage.

What you’ll need:

• 1 ml Faded Cannabis Co. 1000mg 3:1 Halley’s Comet Tincture per cup
• 2 cups pineapple juice
• ½ cup sliced ginger
• ½ tbsp honey
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 whole cloves
• A pinch of black pepper

The method:

1. Simply combine all ingredients except the cannabis tincture in a saucepan. 
2. Simmer on low heat, but never boiling, for about 5 minutes.
3. Strain and add 1 ml Faded Cannabis Co. 1000mg 3:1 Halley’s Comet Tincture per cup.
4. Serve warm and feel the spicy goodness

Just because it isn’t exactly a great time to be alive (thanks COVID), doesn’t mean that you can’t make your time alive great. Life is always going to throw curve balls at us and having the tools to manage that is far more important than simply dodging the curve ball. We hope these winter warming recipes warm your body and your heart — and remember, we’re all in this together but cannabis also really really helps.

What warm beverages are you using to stay warm this winter? Share your favourite recipes with us in the comments!