Pairing #1:
Livetia Cannon “Gush Mintz” flower and “The Hive” rosin-infused pre-roll and McMenamins “Jam Session THC” Citrus Haze Seltzer Water
Social pressure to consume alcohol is finally losing steam, and it’s perfectly acceptable to go California sober (or whatever the Oregon equivalent is) at the Saturday shindig. It’s even highly suggested! If you’re looking for a nonalcoholic buzz that won’t have you sitting out a social sip, we have the perfect pair to party with.
Tannins
Hemp-infused seltzers have taken over, from your local grocery store to beloved food and beverage institutions. Pacific Northwest staple McMenamins has hopped on the hype, releasing THC-infused seltzers available to patrons in-pub and online in two flavors and potencies.
Jam Session THC is a citrus haze seltzer with hemp-derived extract totaling 2 milligrams of THC and 10mg of CBD. It’s an effervescent escape into crisp citrus notes and the slightest essence of hemp. This surprisingly refreshing beverage has zero sugar or calories, and it has a relatively low per-can potency, so you can guzzle guilt-free.
Terpenes
Livetia Farms is a family-owned and -operated business based in Ashland. Their new infused prerolls are painstakingly produced from plant to press, featuring 2.5 grams of indoor flower and a half-gram of life rosin carefully crafted under one roof.
A combination of Gush Mintz (flower) and The Hive (rosin) grabbed our attention, oozing skunky-fruity scents before we even popped the bottle. Inside, behold a wide, wood-tipped beast of a bat, which we now see is appropriately named “Cannon,” shooting 954mg of THC straight to the brain.
The Hive’s juicy banana-papaya profile flows through first, but as the burn continues, a mouthwatering main course with a rainbow of flavor falls into place. White pepper, pine and lime are cushioned by a candy-mint moment before galloping gracefully to a floral finish. It’s a Mary Poppins purse of a profile!
Pairing
McMenamins Jam Session THC seltzer stabilizes the citrus notes in Livetia’s Gush Mintz flower and The Hive rosin, allowing the sweeter fruits and jammy nuanced notes to shine through the smoke. We pick up even more playful papaya punches and a newly found lactic kick that provides a plush landing for the seltzer’s crisp crescendo. –Terpodactyl Media
mcmenamins.com | @livetiafarms
Pairing #2:
Happy Cabbage “POG Rosin Blox” and Portland Cider Co. “Passion Orange Guava”
For this particular Tannins and Terpenes entry, Oregon Leaf is channeling its inner aloha in the form of a tropical pairing with both Pacific Northwest and Pacific Islands flair.
Tannins
Portland Cider Co.’s POG (passion fruit, orange and guava) Hard Cider is an apple cider fermented locally in Clackamas. A Portland local favorite and seasonal exclusive, POG has a crisp baseline flavor of Northwest apples accented with lusher notes of passionfruit, guava and tangerines. The taste is best described as fruity, sweet, tart and tangy, with a fleeting floral feature. It’s a light, refreshing beverage that presents deceptively unlike alcohol despite clocking in at a respectable 5.5% ABV (alcohol by volume).
Terpenes
Happy Cabbage’s POG Blox are solventless gummy edibles that utilize the brand’s in-house hash rosin as an input. The 100-milligram rectangular consumables are scored and separated into smaller 10mg “blox” for accurate dosing. Sugary and fruity with a guava-heavy POG flavoring, these toothsome little treats are irresistibly tasty. Made with real fruit puree, coconut oil and natural sweeteners, Blox are so delicious they’re hard to put down.
Pairing
The combination of the POG cider with the POG gummy creates a typhoon of fruity flavor that floods the palate and saturates the tongue in succulent taste. The expressions echo and play off of each other perfectly, leaving a lip-smacking tropical relish that’s undeniably delectable. Bringing together the effects from each product, this pairing generates quite the exciting head and body buzz. A splendid choice for floating the river, relaxing after a long hike through the woods or kicking back at an outdoor concert or festival, the match is practically made for sunny summer activities and outdoor shenanigans. Both products are vegan and gluten-free, meaning this wombo combo is safe to bring to most any sesh.
All in all, the POG on POG pairing is a phenomenal partnership when consumed in moderation. A big mahalo to local legends Portland Cider Co. and Happy Cabbage for inspiring this terrific twinship and for putting out top-notch tannins and terpenes. –Jamie Owens
happycabbagefarms.com | portlandcider.com
Pairing #3:
Siskiyou Sungrown Mint MCT 1:1 Tincture and Smith Tea Blackberry Jasmine Iced Tea
Pairing this ice-cold elixir with a side of fresh-cut pineapple is sure to have you reminiscing about sunny riverside days surrounded by friends and a cool Pacific Northwest breeze.
Tannins
Like a sunbeam reflecting off the ocean blue, Steven Smith Teamaker Blackberry Jasmine Iced Tea pours out in a dazzling sapphire hue. This full-leaf green tea blend floats on delicate waves of Chinese jasmine silver tip, kissed with the soft sweetness of blackberry and mango. Invigorated by the zest of citrus orange peel rinds and the tropical sparkle of pineapple, this daytime pick-me-up makes for a memorable summertime share with friends. As I continued to sip on this ice-cold beverage, notes of refreshing citrus and bright green tea unfolded slowly, leaving a whisper of floral sweetness. This cup of tea transformed into a grounding and uplifting midsummer elixir.
Terpenes
This 1:1 RSO MCT Mint Tincture from Siskiyou Sungrown is plant medicine in its purest, most intentional form. Crafted with organic MCT coconut oil, locally sourced Oregon mint and full-spectrum Cannabis extract, it delivers a perfectly balanced ratio of THC to CBD — 1,000 total cannabinoids working in harmony. Dropping this sublingual on my palate quickly revealed a powerful, cool mint sensation that opened the sinuses, cleared the mind and had an immediate salivation effect. As the experience developed, I noticed a sweet, nutty and tropical softness that complemented the whole-plant Cannabis notes. Activation begins in as little as 15 minutes, with a gentle rise into clarity and an overall easing of the body that can last up to four hours. This is Cannabis as it was meant to be: organically grown, regenerative and solvent-free.
Pairing
When the summer sun sits high in the sky and the air resonates with a stinging heat, reach for a tall glass of Steven Smith Teamaker Blackberry Jasmine Iced Tea. Pour it over ice, and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint, a handful of juicy blackberries and a zest of citrus rind to awaken the senses. Then, drop in your desired dose of Siskiyou Sungrown’s 1:1 RSO MCT Mint Tincture, letting the cool Oregon mint mingle with the tea’s gentle fruit and floral notes. This infused beverage makes for a vibrant, wellness-forward elixir that is cooling to the body, calming to the mind and crafted entirely from nature’s pharmacy. Together, they offer a truly soul-soothing moment of conscious indulgence that will hydrate, ground and invigorate your day. – Angela-jordan Aguilar
siskiyousungrown.com | @siskiyousungrown | smithtea.com | @smithteamaker
Pairing #4:
Wandering Goat Coffee & Banjo Trop Cherry Strawberry Rosin
Matthew “Banjo” Stroven is one of the most prominent names in glassblowing. This year, he branched out into products, partnering with OG Inc and releasing live rosin in Oregon and California. OG Inc Inc told us that they’re excited to bring this project to the market since “only certain farms are allowed to cultivate for Banjo, and they have to be blessed in by the man himself.” With such well-known names on the project, many hash heads across the Pacific Northwest have been wondering what the jars will be like, which makes their Trop Cherry Strawberry a perfect choice for this month’s highlight.
Tannins
We stopped by Wandering Goat roastery in Eugene, where the helpful staff suggested a Peru Norandino single-origin coffee. This umbrella cooperative supports three regional organizations of farmers who together produce 25,000 acres of coffee within northern Peru. The smell that comes from just the beans is hypnotic. Rich without being overly bright or heavy, the middle section of aroma is packed full, and the bag description does it justice, listing notes of cola, fig, banana and chocolate.
What better way to enjoy Wandering Goat coffee than with steamed goat milk? Rich, creamy and a little earthy, there’s a hint of something like goat cheese at the end. This was first introduced to me as a capriccino, but for today, we made a sort of café au chèvre lait. Adding steamed milk, we saw the sweeter moments of these notes pulled to the foreground and elevated out of the tangled flavor mix.
Terpenes
OG Inc says they got this strain from a homie who got it from his homie, so the provenance is a bit unclear, but all parties believe it to be Tropicana Cherry x Strawberry Fritter from Raw Genetics. Grown and washed in the Willamette Valley, this is a great example of what I call donut-ready rosin. Terpy and tacky but pliable in your fingers, you can roll some around and get a nice sense of its complex aromas. Citrus, candy necklace and Red Hots candy all buzz around the top of the smell. At first, I kept getting something lightly earthy but soft like peanut butter, but after warming some up in the fingers, that citrus edge blossomed out. What space was left seemed filled with the remainder of that earthiness and some deep fruit notes. Going in at 400 degrees Fahrenheit provides all citrus, and the exhale hits the sinuses. What starts as nothing on the aftertaste takes on that sweet candy layered over that earthiness.
Pairing
Once you mix a dab with a mouthful of coffee, the light citrus flavors provide a beautiful edge to the roast and the steamed milk. The earthiness of the goat milk pairs quite well with the surprising earthiness in this rosin without the two becoming overpronounced. The citrus rests on the top and makes for a wonderful tag team on your taste buds. –Matt Jackson
wanderinggoat.com | banjo.glass | oginc.com | @wanderinggoatcoffee | @banjoglass | @ogincoregon
Pairing #5:
Black Sheep Cultivation “Lusty Lady” and Binary Brewing “Virtual Redality”
This pairing is the perfect escape from reality. It’s a carefully curated crossover episode where each sip immerses you into a virtual vacation, and each puff is like downloading a dank upgrade.
Tannins
This classic Irish red beer from Binary Brewing out of Beaverton is a malty ale with toasted hop notes. The cozy, caramel undertones play on the palate, presenting a fuzzy feeling that’s something like slipping into the soft static of a simpler universe. The deep, ruby-amber liquid is rich enough to hold the beer’s bold flavors, but light enough to quench your thirst on any given side quest.
Terpenes
Lusty Lady is Bahama Mama x Red Runtz crossbred by Exotic Genetix. Black Sheep Cultivation’s rendition showcases the flower’s sweet berry and warm vanilla side, with a strong strawberry candy tang as you make your way into the middle of the nug. On the exhale, a familiar malted moment is fleeting, leading to floral notes that flourish before bouncing back to baskets of fruit. The vanilla returns to linger in the air alongside a skunky surprise that we can’t quite nail down elsewhere in the experience.
Pairing
Binary Brewing and Black Sheep Cultivation bring an experience that feels like stumbling into a secret level of laid-back life. Just when you’re getting comfortable with Virtual Redality’s warm glow, Lusty Lady kicks in the door with a juicy plot twist. Together, the sensation is like side-stepping into a wonderful new world, where everything is just a little sweeter, stranger and more worth exploring. –Terpodactyl Media
