Chapter 6

Cannabis Wines

These wines are not potent in the way cannabis edibles can be, in part because the cannabis I used — a mix of leaves and trim — is less potent than the high-­quality buds produced for commercial consumption. Trim is what growers trim off their buds to produce small leaf tips and bud pieces with a higher THC content than the leaves. Leaf trimmings are often an unused by-product of commercial growers for the medicinal and recreational markets, making them easier to obtain than the more valuable bud trimmings. The leaves add lots of flavor to the wine, and some sources claim that they contain the most effective painkilling cannabinoids.

When making cannabis wine in a US state, follow local laws. If you are in a state that has only legalized marijuana for medical uses, you will need a prescription to make cannabis wine. Keep in mind that a medical permit from one state may not be recognized by another state, even if both states have legalized medical marijuana. Do not attempt to travel out of state with your cannabis wine. Laws outside the US vary; you should know and follow the laws where you are.

Appleweed

Recipe yield: Makes 1 Gallon. Decorative watercolor paint swash.

In my opinion, this is the best-tasting of all the cannabis wines in my cellar. While there is a slight intoxicating effect, this type of wine is produced more for taste than potency. If you desire a higher-potency wine, you could extract the potent cannabinoids by soaking high-quality marijuana buds in grain alcohol and adding the results to the wine, creating a type of fortified wine.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Chop the apples, including the peels, cores, and seeds, as finely as possible. Combine the apples with the cannabis in the fermentation vessel.
  2. 2. Bring 3 quarts of the water to a boil in a large pot. Add 2 pounds of the sugar and bring back to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the boiling sugar water to the mixture in the fermentation vessel. Cover and let cool.
  3. 3. Stir in the yeast and cover. Let ferment for 7 to 10 days, stirring twice a day.
  4. 4. When fermentation slows, bring the remaining 1 quart water to a boil, add the remaining 1 pound sugar, and stir to dissolve. Let the sugar water cool and then stir it into the must. Let the must ferment for at least 2 to 3 weeks, and up to 30 days, stirring twice a day.
  5. 5. Press out the pulp, pour the wine into your secondary fermentation jug, and secure the fermentation lock. Check it the next day; if there is a deep layer of lees, rack and filter the wine. Rack again every 2 to 3 months.
  6. 6. The wine will be ready to drink in 6 months. Let it age in the jug for as long as possible before bottling, at least 6 months to 1 year.

Appleweed, Plum Pot, Mary Jane’s Grapes, Cannabis-Rhubarb (Cannabarb), and Medical Marijuana

Cannabis-Rhubarb (Cannabarb)

Recipe yield: Makes 1 Gallon. Decorative watercolor paint swash.

Among my friends who drink cannabis wines, this is the favorite. Rhubarb is a perfect complement to other ingredients in winemaking, whether fruits or herbs. Rhubarb is harvested in spring and early summer, whereas cannabis is usually harvested in late summer and fall, so I usually freeze my rhubarb and make this wine when the cannabis is harvested. This wine is best when a little sweet, and a higher alcohol concentration helps extract the medicinal qualities of the cannabis, so add the sugar in two or three increments during the primary fermentation.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Combine the rhubarb and cannabis in the fermentation vessel.
  2. 2. Bring 3 quarts of the water to a boil in a large pot. Add 2 pounds of the sugar and bring back to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the boiling sugar water to the mixture in the fermentation vessel. Cover and let cool.
  3. 3. Stir in the yeast and cover. Let ferment for 7 days, stirring twice a day.
  4. 4. When fermentation slows, bring the remaining 1 quart water to a boil, add the remaining 1 pound sugar, and stir to dissolve. Let the sugar water cool and then stir it into the must. Let the must ferment for at least 3 weeks, and up to 30 days, stirring twice a day.
  5. 5. Press out the pulp, pour the wine into your secondary fermentation jug, and secure the fermentation lock. Check it the next day; if there is a deep layer of lees, rack and filter the wine. Rack again every 2 to 3 months.
  6. 6. The wine should be ready to drink in 6 months. Let it age in the jug for as long as possible before bottling, at least 6 months to 1 year.

Christmas Cannabis

Recipe yield: Makes 1 Gallon. Decorative watercolor paint swash.

This was the first cannabis wine I ever made, and I started it on Christmas Day. This wine is not very potent compared to marijuana edibles, but it has a strong cannabis flavor and my smoker friends love it. To me, the cannabis effect was comparable to taking a puff or two from a marijuana joint with a glass of wine — rather mild when compared to eating typical marijuana edibles.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Place the cannabis in the fermentation vessel.
  2. 2. Bring 3 quarts of the water to a boil in a large pot. Add 2 pounds of the sugar and bring back to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the boiling sugar water to the mixture in the fermentation vessel. Cover and let cool.
  3. 3. Stir in the yeast and cover. Let ferment for 7 days, stirring twice a day.
  4. 4. When fermentation slows, soak the raisins in enough water to cover overnight, then chop them, with the water, in a blender and stir them into the must. Let ferment for 7 days, stirring twice a day.
  5. 5. When fermentation slows again, bring the remaining 1 quart water to a boil, add the remaining 1 pound sugar, and stir to dissolve. Let the sugar water cool and then stir it into the must. Let the must ferment for another 7 days, stirring twice a day.
  6. 6. Press out the pulp, pour the wine into your secondary fermentation jug, and secure the fermentation lock. Check it the next day; if there is a deep layer of lees, rack and filter the wine. Rack again every 2 to 3 months.
  7. 7. The wine should be ready to drink in 6 months. Let it age in the jug for as long as possible before bottling, at least 6 months to 1 year.

Christmas in July

Recipe yield: Makes 1 Gallon. Decorative watercolor paint swash.

My cannabis grower friend liked the Christmas Cannabis wine so much that he gave me another bagful of trimmings after his next harvest in July. This wine is similar to Christmas Cannabis, but with the addition of culinary herbs. I used mint and cinnamon basil, which add a subtle complexity with spicy notes beneath the dominant cannabis flavor.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Combine the cannabis and herbs in the fermentation vessel.
  2. 2. Bring 3 quarts of the water to a boil in a large pot. Add 2 pounds of the sugar and bring back to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the boiling sugar water to the mixture in the fermentation vessel. Cover and let cool.
  3. 3. Stir in the yeast and cover. Let ferment for 7 days, stirring twice a day.
  4. 4. When fermentation slows, soak the raisins in enough water to cover overnight, then chop them, with the water, in a blender and stir them into the must. Let ferment for 7 days, stirring twice a day.
  5. 5. When fermentation slows again, bring the remaining 1 quart water to a boil, add the remaining 1 pound sugar, and stir to dissolve. Let the sugar water cool and then stir it into the must. Let the must ferment for another 7 days, stirring twice a day.
  6. 6. Press out the pulp, pour the wine into your secondary fermentation jug, and secure the fermentation lock. Check it the next day; if there is a deep layer of lees, rack and filter the wine. Rack again every 2 to 3 months.
  7. 7. The wine should be ready to drink in 6 months. Let it age in the jug for as long as possible before bottling, at least 6 months to 1 year.

Mary Jane’s Grapes

Recipe yield: Makes 1 Gallon. Decorative watercolor paint swash.

I’m not a fan of grape wines, but a marijuana grower friend called and asked if I wanted to make a cannabis wine from grapes growing on his back fence. What resulted was a wine with a prominent grape flavor that could benefit from long aging. Add the sugar and raisins in several installments over the primary fermentation.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Combine the grapes and cannabis in the fermentation vessel.
  2. 2. Bring 3 quarts of the water to a boil in a large pot. Add 2 pounds of the sugar and bring back to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the boiling sugar water to the mixture in the fermentation vessel. Cover and let cool.
  3. 3. Stir in the yeast and cover. Let ferment for 7 days, stirring twice a day.
  4. 4. When fermentation slows, soak the raisins in enough water to cover overnight, then chop them, with the water, in a blender and stir them into the must. Continue to ferment for 7 days, stirring twice a day.
  5. 5. When fermentation slows again, bring the remaining 1 quart water to a boil, add the remaining 1 pound sugar, and stir to dissolve. Let the sugar water cool and then stir it into the must. Let the must ferment for another 7 days, stirring twice a day.
  6. 6. Press out the pulp, pour the wine into your secondary fermentation jug, and secure the fermentation lock. Check it the next day; if there is a deep layer of lees, rack and filter the wine. Rack again every 2 to 3 months.
  7. 7. The wine should be ready to drink in 6 to 9 months. Let it age in the jug for as long as possible before bottling, at least 6 months to 1 year.

Medical Marijuana

Recipe yield: Makes 1 Gallon. Decorative watercolor paint swash.

I spent some time working and growing for a medical dispensary in Colorado. I used the leftover leaves and trimmings to make this batch of wine. It has a strong herbal taste that is well liked by my cannabis-loving friends and is aging well in the cellar.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Place the cannabis in the fermentation vessel.
  2. 2. Bring 3 quarts of the water to a boil in a large pot. Add 2 pounds of the sugar and bring back to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the boiling sugar water to the mixture in the fermentation vessel. Cover and let cool.
  3. 3. Stir in the yeast and cover. Let ferment for 7 days, stirring twice a day.
  4. 4. When fermentation slows, soak the raisins in enough water to cover overnight, then chop them, with the water, in a blender. and stir them into the must. Let ferment for 7 days, stirring twice a day.
  5. 5. When fermentation slows again, bring the remaining 1 quart water to a boil, add the remaining 1 pound sugar, and stir to dissolve. Let the sugar water cool and then stir it into the must. Let the must ferment for another 7 days, stirring twice a day.
  6. 6. Press out the pulp, pour the wine into your secondary fermentation jug, and secure the fermentation lock. Check it the next day; if there is a deep layer of lees, rack and filter the wine. Rack again every 2 to 3 months.
  7. 7. The wine should be ready to drink in 6 to 9 months. Let it age in the jug for as long as possible before bottling, at least 6 months to 1 year.

Plum Pot

Recipe yield: Makes 1 Gallon. Decorative watercolor paint swash.

I’ve made this a couple of times and have been very pleased with the results. In one batch I used flower buds that were too full of seeds to sell in my friend’s dispensary, rather than the leaves and trimmings I normally use. That wine had the best cannabis flavor and was a little more medicinally potent than the other cannabis wines I had made. Plums give this cannabis wine a nice fruitiness that complements the cannabis flavor. In fact, all the fruits I’ve added to the various cannabis wines have enhanced their drinkability and taste.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Pit and chop the plums. Combine the plums and cannabis in the fermentation vessel.
  2. 2. Bring 3 quarts of the water to a boil in a large pot. Add 2 pounds of the sugar and bring back to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the boiling sugar water to the mixture in the fermentation vessel. Cover and let cool.
  3. 3. Stir in the yeast and cover. Let ferment for 7 days, stirring twice a day.
  4. 4. When fermentation slows, soak the raisins in enough water to cover overnight, then chop them, with the water, in a blender and stir them into the must. Let ferment for 7 days, stirring twice a day.
  5. 5. When fermentation slows again, bring the remaining 1 quart water to a boil, add the remaining 1 pound sugar, and stir to dissolve. Let the sugar water cool and then stir it into the must. Let the must ferment for another 7 days, stirring twice a day.
  6. 6. Press out the pulp, pour the wine into your secondary fermentation jug, and secure the fermentation lock. Check it the next day; if there is a deep layer of lees, rack and filter the wine. Rack again every 2 to 3 months.
  7. 7. The wine should be ready to drink in 6 months. Let it age in the jug for as long as possible before bottling, at least 6 months to 1 year.