How are Cannabis Beverages Made
A Journey into the Science of Flavour and Infusion – Discover the fascinating world of cannabis-infused beverages and the scientific breakthroughs behind their creation.
Embark on a thrilling adventure of choice with cannabis-infused beverages, a delightful alternative to traditional offerings, thanks to advancements in scientific methods. The infusion of cannabis oils into liquids has undergone a remarkable transformation, especially with Licensed Producers employing improved techniques. Join us as we unravel the science behind their intricate production process.
Step 1: Emulsification
Licensed Producers, begin its beverage-making process with cannabis distillate, a blend of various strains that can slightly differ from batch to batch. Since cannabis distillate is an oil and does not mix well with water, they employ nanoemulsion, a process that breaks down the distillate into minuscule spheres. These tiny spheres, smaller than the width of a human hair, uniformly blend into the liquid. This nanoemulsion not only facilitates uniform distribution but also enhances bioavailability, resulting in faster onset effects compared to most other edibles.
What Is Distillate? Distillate is an extremely concentrated form of cannabis oil produced through a process of boiling and condensation.
Step 2: Mixing in the Flavour
The next delightful step involves stirring the cannabis emulsion and flavours together. Through extensive consumer research and experimentation, producers strive to create delicious new tastes. While the process of making cannabis extract can strip away most of the plant’s terpenes. Botanical terpenes, such as those found in hops, thyme, orange peel, and cloves, are added back into the mix, creating unique blends like Limonene & Sparkling Tonic and Myrcene & Sparkling Tonic.
Isolated Terpene Flavours – Myrcene and Limonene – Experts taste a range of isolated terpene flavours to better understand what each one tastes like and further look at what the most popular terpene flavours with consumers are. limonene and myrcene for instance. These two flavours are very different from each other — limonene is citrusy and herbaceous, whereas myrcene is more earthy and botanical — but both are a great introduction to the complex world of terpenes.
Did You Know? Cannabis terpenes are the same as terpenes found in other botanicals. These fragrant oils produce the unique tastes and smells of each plant, fruit, and vegetable.
Step 3: Testing Times Five
Ensuring the product is both delightful and responsibly produced is paramount. Testing is performed several times throughout the production process, this guarantees that THC and CBD content matches the label, providing consumers with accurate information about their consumption. Licensed cannabis producers, unlike non-infused beverage companies, require a special research license to sample products for taste, aroma, texture, and mouthfeel throughout the production process.
Did You Know? All cannabis products must adhere to labelling and packaging requirements, including essential information like the cannabis symbol, brand name, THC and CBD content, health warnings, lot number, packaging date, bar code, nutrition facts, and ingredient list. This is crucial for consumer awareness, and the excise stamp must be present to certify the product’s legality.
Step 4: Bottling & Shipping
Once the perfected recipe is blended, the beverage may be carbonated for added sparkle. The final product is then bottled in recyclable glass bottles, such as the 355 mL ones used for House of Terpenes products. These bottles, in a year’s worth of production, hold enough liquid to fill 10 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Complete with required labelling, the finished product is ready to reach customers across the country.
Did You Know? Now that the challenge of infusing cannabis in water has been overcome, the future of cannabis beverages looks promising. As the Canadian cannabis market evolves, expect to see an array of new and exciting flavours. Here’s to the future of cannabis beverages!
