10 great CBD cocktails to try making

Key takeaways:

• CBD is a compound extracted from the hemp plant - it doesn’t cause a high or have an addictive effect; instead, it may promote a sense of calm and help you relax 

• CBD cocktails are alcoholic drinks with CBD oil added or made using CBD infused drinks 

• CBD mocktails are non-alcoholic drinks that contain CBD, made to look and feel similar to drinking alcohol

• Alcohol and CBD can be combined, but if in high amounts, they could have a sleepy, sedative effect

• Craft cocktails and mocktails containing CBD are becoming increasingly popular both in bars and restaurants and with home mixologists 

What are CBD cocktails?

CBD, or cannabidiol, is extracted from the hemp plant, a type of cannabis plant grown from seeds that are free from THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). 

THC is the active ingredient in cannabis that causes a high and is addictive. CBD isn’t psychoactive or addictive. CBD products such as oils are legal in the UK, and must contain less than 0.2% THC or none at all. Therefore, using legal CBD products won't cause a high. 

CBD cocktails are alcoholic drinks with added CBD, either by adding drops of CBD oil and mixing the ingredients, or by using a pre-made CBD-infused drink and adding alcohol such as vodka or white wine. 

Non-alcoholic or low alcohol wines and spirits are now widely available. If you don't drink or you’re making mocktails or low-alcohol cocktails, most CBD cocktail recipes still work. 

Is it safe to mix alcohol and CBD?

The research into the effects of alcohol and CBD together are to date inconclusive, and many of the studies have been conducted on animals. Very few animal or human studies have looked into the effects of combining high amounts of alcohol and CBD. 

What has been hypothesised so far is that taking them together increases the effect of both. Alcohol can cause us to feel relaxed and uninhibited, and research shows that CBD can reduce anxiety and improve sleep. 

This means that if you drink a lot of alcohol and use a high dose of CBD at the same time, you could feel very sleepy. 

That said, there’s no evidence to suggest that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol and using CBD is dangerous. However, it’s recommended that you keep both to a minimum and that you don’t do any of the things that you shouldn’t do after drinking alcohol, such as driving or operating machinery. 

How to add CBD to cocktails

CBD is available in many forms, but not all of them can be used in cocktails. For example, gummies and vapes would be difficult to mix into a G&T! CBD oils and pre-made CBD drinks work best. 

In this list of CBD cocktails and mocktails, when using CBD oil, each recipe recommends half a dropper, or 0.5 ml. 

Generally, CBD oil comes in a dropper bottle, with each dropper holding 1ml. If a CBD oil states it contains 1,000 mg of CBD, this means that there’s 1,000 mg of CBD in the entire bottle. If it’s a 30 ml bottle and you use half a dropper-full in your CBD cocktail, you’re taking around 15-16 mg of CBD with each drink. 

You can adjust the amount of CBD oil you use to suit you. CBD dosing takes some practice, but with the right guidance, you’ll find the right dose for you. 

Best CBD cocktails

Here are 10 CBD cocktails and mocktails to try! Each recipe is for one person; adjust accordingly if you have guests. 

1. The classic G&T with a CBD twist

Let’s start with a classic, the gin and tonic. The history books tell us that this long, cool drink was first enjoyed in 19th-century India, when British soldiers mixed gin with bitter quinine water (now known as tonic water) to help fend off malaria. 

Back then, soldiers were given a daily ration of gin. In the 1950s, Winston Churchill famously gave praise to it. Fast forward a few decades, and gin has become a fashionable drink infused with everything from sweet strawberries to fiery ginger and rhubarb. Non-alcoholic gin has also become popular recently. 

Ingredients:

• 25 ml of your favourite gin for a single, or 50 ml for a double (London Dry gin works best in this CBD cocktail, or a sweet-flavoured variety)

• 200ml good quality elderflower tonic water (Fever-Tree tonic waters are highly recommended) 

• 0.5 ml CBD oil

• Ice and a slice

How to make it:

• Fill a highball glass with ice cubes

• Add the gin, tonic and CBD oil and stir until mixed

• Top with a generous slice of lemon or lime 

2. Winter-inspired G&T & CBD

Gin makes a cooling, refreshing drink in the summer, but gin is still great in wintery cocktails. All you need to do is change the flavours up a little. 

Ingredients:

• 25 ml (single) or 50 ml (double) orange gin

• 200ml spiced or herbal tonic water (cranberry and citrus flavours work well)

• 0.5 ml CBD oil

• One star anise 

• Cinnamon stick

• Slice of red apple

• Ice (optional)

How to make it:

• Pour the gin, tonic and CBD oil into a round gin glass and stir until mixed

• Add ice if using and stir again

• Dress with the star anise, cinnamon stick and apple

• Give the drink another stir

3. Mint & cucumber CBD cooler

If you’re not drinking alcohol or you don’t drink alcohol at all, you don’t have to miss out. Mint and cucumber are a perfect combination for a long drink all year round. This CBD mocktail is also ideal for Dry January, or if you’re on a health kick. 

Ingredients:

• ⅓ of a cucumber

• 6 fresh mint leaves (more to garnish)

• Juice of half a lime

• Squeeze of honey or agave syrup to taste 

• 0.5 ml CBD oil 

• Ice

• 150 ml soda water

• ½ lime cut into wedges 

How to make it:

• Add the cucumber, mint leaves, lime juice, honey or agave and CBD oil to a blender and blend until smooth

• Fill a highball glass with ice

• Strain the mocktail into the glass 

• Pour the soda water into the glass and mix

• Dress with mint leaves and lime wedges 

4. Citrussy CBD spritzer

This sparkly drink can be made using prosecco (or champagne) or a mix of a dry white wine and soda water. 

Ingredients:

• 25 ml lemon vodka

• 200 ml prosecco or/

• 100 ml dry white wine plus 100 ml soda water

• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

• 10 ml sugar syrup (or to taste)

• 0.5 ml CBD oil

• Lemon slice

How to make it:

• Add the vodka, prosecco/white wine and soda, lemon juice, sugar syrup and CBD oil to a champagne flute or tall white wine glass and mix

• Add the lemon slice to the side of the glass

5. Caribbean sunset CBD cocktail

If you’re dreaming of faraway beaches, warm sunsets and rum punch, but you’d rather not wake up with a hangover, this rum-inspired mocktail is for you.

Made using Clean R, an alcohol free spirit made with high-quality plant-based ingredients and botanicals from Clean Co, it can help achieve a state of calm, without the after-effects of alcohol. 

Ingredients:

• 50 ml Clean R

• One can of Blood Orange & Grapefruit CBD drink

• Ice

• Half a lime

How to make it:

• Fill a highball glass with ice cubes

• Add the Clean R and CBD drink and stir well

• Cut the lime into wedges, squeeze a few drops of juice into the glass and top with the wedges

6. CBD hot chocolate 

Who doesn’t love a warming mug of hot chocolate on a cold evening? Not technically one for a list of cocktail recipes, but this CBD-infused cocoa is a treat nonetheless and couldn't be easier. 

Simply make your favourite hot chocolate using the dairy or non-dairy milk of your choice. Once warm, add 0.5 ml of CBD oil and stir. A side of biscuits is optional. 

7. CBD espresso martini

An espresso martini is a popular choice for an aperitif, and the addition of CBD gives this stylish classic a modern twist. 

Ingredients:

• 35 ml espresso coffee, cooled down

• 50 ml good quality vodka

• 25 ml coffee liqueur 

• 0.5 ml CBD oil

• Ice

• Three coffee beans 

How to make it:

• Add the cooled espresso, vodka, coffee liqueur and CBD oil to a cocktail shaker along with the ice and shake vigorously until mixed and the ice has broken into smaller pieces 

• Pour the liquid through a cocktail strainer into a classic martini glass or a rounded coupe glass, leaving the ice behind

• Drop the coffee beans onto the top

8. Warm pineapple punch with CBD

This drink can be made with or without alcohol. If you’d like to make it alcoholic, add a shot of your favourite spirit; a spiced rum works well. 

Since it needs to be warmed up, it’s best made in a larger batch, so adjust the ingredients according to how many you’re preparing for. You might not need to adjust the level of whole spices; it’s down to personal taste. You could also make this drink in a slow cooker and add the CBD oil when serving. 

Ingredients (serves one):

• 200 ml fresh pineapple juice (you can also use orange juice if you prefer) 

• 50 ml water (or more, to taste) 

• Fresh ginger, peeled and sliced, to taste

• A squeeze of honey or maple syrup

• One star anise

• One cinnamon stick

• Two whole cloves

• Four black peppercorns

• 25 ml spiced rum (if using) 

• 0.5 ml CBD oil

How to make it:

• Add the juice, water, ginger, honey or maple syrup and the whole spices to a saucepan

• Warm gently to a low simmer, stirring occasionally (don’t let the mixture boil)

• Strain into a cup or a mulled wine glass

• Add the CBD oil and stir

• Garnish with one or two of the whole spices if preferred 

9. CBD infused negroni 

Not for the fainthearted, a Negroni cocktail contains equal parts gin, Campari and sweet red vermouth. It’s bitter, boozy and best sipped slowly as a digestif. 

Rumour has it, the drink dates back to 1919 in Florence, when Count Camillo Negroni asked Caffè Casoni bartender Fosco Scarselli to add more strength to his otherwise favourite cocktail, the Americano (which contains Campari, sweet vermouth and soda water).

Scarselli swapped the soda for gin, added an orange garnish, and the rest is history. 

Ingredients:

• 25 ml gin (London Dry works best)

• 25 ml Campari

• 25 ml sweet red vermouth 

• 0.5 ml CBD oil

• Ice

• Slices of orange 

How to make it:

• Add the gin, Campari, sweet vermouth and CBD oil to a short glass

• Add 3 or 4 ice cubes

• Mix well with a bar spoon (this drink might need to be mixed more than usual, to help the CBD oil mix)

• Garnish with orange slices to taste 

10. CBD mojito

No list of cocktail recipes is complete without a mojito. Refreshing, minty, sweet and zesty, it ticks all the boxes. CBD adds a twist to this crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients:

• Juice of one lime

• Handful of fresh mint leaves plus more for garnish

• 1 teaspoon white sugar

• Ice

• 50 ml white rum

• 0.5 ml CBD oil

• 200 ml soda water 

• Wedge of lime

How to make it:

• In a small bowl or jug, muddle (mash) the lime juice, mint leaves and sugar until the mint leaves are crushed

• Add the mix to a tall glass and add ice

• Pour in the rum and CBD oil and mix with a bar spoon

• Top up with soda water

• Add fresh mint and lime to serve

More information and research

This article goes into more detail about mixing alcohol and CBD, and this article discusses emerging evidence that may suggest that CBD could help treat alcohol use disorder. For an interesting read on the rise of CBD cocktails as you sip one, head over to Food & Wine. 

References

Bergamaschi, M. M., Queiroz, R. H. C., Chagas, M. H. N., De Oliveira, D. C. G., De Martinis, B. S., Kapczinski, F., De Quevedo, J. L., Roesler, R., Schröder, N., Nardi, A. E., Martín-Santos, R., Hallak, J. E. C., Zuardi, A. W., & Crippa, J. a. S. (2011). Cannabidiol reduces the anxiety induced by simulated public speaking in Treatment-Naïve Social Phobia patients. Neuropsychopharmacology, 36(6), 1219–1226. https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2011.6

Shannon, S., Lewis, N., Lee, H., & Hughes, S. (2019). Cannabidiol in Anxiety and sleep: a large case series. The Permanente Journal, 23(1), 18–041. https://doi.org/10.7812/tpp/18-041 

Huestis, M. A., Solimini, R., Pichini, S., Pacifici, R., Carlier, J., & Busardò, F. P. (2019). Cannabidiol adverse effects and toxicity. Current Neuropharmacology, 17(10), 974–989. https://doi.org/10.2174/1570159x17666190603171901 

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking other medications.

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