Wine and cocktails may be the classic dinner party pairing, but they’re not the only option. With fewer people drinking alcohol these days, cannabis is a welcome addition to a night full of friends and fun.
Whether you’re hosting a potluck-style soirée or cooking it all from scratch, these tips will help you throw a dope dinner party.
*Disclaimer: When sharing cannabis with friends and family, always lead with open and honest communication. Everyone has a different experience and tolerance with cannabis, which is why getting consent is key.
Ideas for Incorporating Cannabis Into Your Menu
The easiest way to get your guests high is to serve cannabis products alongside your dishes. Try one (or all) of these ideas at your next get-together.
Serve an Edible Amuse-Bouche
At fancy restaurants, meals often begin with an amuse-bouche (that’s French for “amuses the mouth”). Think of it as an appetizer for your appetizers; it’s a tiny welcome bite.
Instead of serving a savory hors-d’oeuvre at the beginning of your dinner party, present your guests with a tray full of edibles. Your friends can then start with a gummy or chocolatey bite that will kick in as the evening goes on.
Dish Out Pre-Rolls With the Appetizers
As you serve the first few dishes, bring out some pre-rolls to accompany them. You could arrange them like a bouquet in a shallow bowl, or lay out a few different strains on individual platters.
Because joints are so shareable, this approach sets the tone for a social evening. Just make sure you have an accessible outdoor space (or permission to smoke indoors).
Create Cannabis Pairings
If you’re serving a multi-course meal, take a page from the sommelier’s book and come up with flavor pairings. You can use the distinct taste of different cannabis products to complement your food. For example, you might offer:
- A citrusy Blueberry concentrate with a rich pork dish
- A creamy, spicy Zebra Cakez joint with seafood
- A Peach Maraschino cartridge with a caramel dessert
Add Tinctures to After-Dinner Beverages
Serving coffee or tea at the end of the meal? You can squeeze a few drops of a THC tincture into each guest’s glass for a final dose of bliss.
The floral flavors of some strains play well with herbal teas, so if you’re making a homemade tincture, reach for something like The Glove Flower from Tales & Travels.
Cooking With Cannabis
If you want to take your dinner party to the next level, you can infuse the dishes themselves with cannabis.
However, before you can cook with cannabis, you need to “activate” it through the process of decarboxylation. To decarb your weed, break it into small pieces, lay it on a parchment paper-lined baking tray, and pop it in the oven at 225ºF for about 45 minutes.
Once your cannabis has cooled, you can infuse it into butter or oil.
Making Cannabutter
Here’s how to make cannabis-infused butter:
- Melt two sticks of butter in a saucepan over low heat
- Add 3.5 grams of your decarboxylated cannabis
- Simmer for 20 minutes
- Remove from the heat and steep for 30 minutes
- Strain the melted butter through a sieve
- Let it cool in the fridge
After your cannabutter solidifies, you can swap it for regular butter in any recipe—savory or sweet. Note that it’s pretty potent stuff: If you use flower with 20% THC, your butter will have about 43 mg of THC per tablespoon.
Making Cannabis-Infused Oil
You can take a similar approach to infuse olive oil. Add 1 cup of extra-virgin olive oil to a saucepan over medium-low heat, then toss in 3.5 grams of decarbed cannabis. After 20 minutes, take it off the heat and let it infuse for 30 minutes before straining it.
Use this oil in vinaigrettes and dips, or drizzle it on top of a main course. Because it’ll have 29 mg of THC per tablespoon (assuming you use 20% THC flower), you may want to blend it with regular oil to mellow it out.
Things to Keep in Mind When Serving Cannabis
To guarantee a successful evening, you should:
- Tell guests what they’re eating – Be sure to communicate how much THC is in each dish. That way, your guests can decide if they want to re-up on your mashed potatoes or take a break.
- Take it slow – Unless your friend group has a crazy high tolerance, stick to one or two infused dishes and make the rest without cannabis. Remember: You can always have more, but you can’t have less.
- Plan for the end of the night – After a night of smoking and snacking on cannabis-infused bites, no one should be driving. Make sure all your guests have a safe ride home or a couch to crash on.
Revolution Dispensary: Your Source for Dinner Party Cannabis
Follow these tips, and you’ll soon be enjoying an evening of delicious bites, laughs, and good times.
Now, all that’s left is to pick up the cannabis for your dinner party. For that, head to Revolution Dispensary. Our friendly experts will help you curate a selection of cannabis products that complement your menu.
Bon appétit.
Sources:
Gallup. Young Adults in U.S. Drinking Less Than in Prior Decades. https://news.gallup.com/poll/509690/young-adults-drinking-less-prior-decades.aspx
Nugg MD. Cooking With Cannabis: A Beginner’s Guide To Making Marijuana Edibles. https://www.nuggmd.com/blog/cooking-with-cannabis-a-beginners-guide-to-making-marijuana-edibles
Food & Wine. How to Make Premium Cannabutter, Step by Step. https://www.foodandwine.com/cooking-techniques/cannabis-how-make-cannabutter-cooking-baking
Food & Wine. Cannabis-Infused Olive Oil. https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/cannabis-infused-olive-oil
