No Cannabis session is complete without the addition of food and beverage. Whether it be a drink of water to help a dry mouth or snacks to cure the munchies, these amenities to your buzz have naturally become part of the stoner routine – which is why I was drawn to the elixirs from Squier’s Edibles Chef Zack Squier.
Currently based out of Portland, Maine, 29-year-old chef Zack Squier has created a line of products that are congenial when combined with mixed drinks and food. His dynamic and one-of-a-kind products will make any bartender or drink connoisseur’s eyes light up. Originally from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, he discovered his love for pairing Cannabis with food and beverages at a young age.
Working in restaurants where Cannabis is frequently consumed by employees as a means to alleviate stress in the fast-paced environment, Zack eventually considered bringing his two passions together. Squier explains that the initial plan was to create more of a savory product, beginning with the launch of a Thanksgiving cranberry sauce alongside a drink recipe using the leftover sauce. “Everyone loved the drinks that they were able to make with it,” he says. “And were demanding more cranberry sauce post-Thanksgiving.”
It was at that moment when Zack realized he was onto something special and began producing a beverage enhancer line. The talented chef loves food and Cannabis, so it was unavoidable that the two worlds would collide. “To me, Cannabis and food go hand in hand. They complement each other in so many ways and at the end of the day, Cannabis does the same thing that I love about food – it brings people together,” says Zack. “Our products help a lot of people, whether that be medically, recreationally or socially.”
Many of the other edible products that we see today focus more on the amount of THC contained and not the overall impression we know as the “entourage effect.” This is the relationship between the various compounds that make up the Cannabis plant and how they work together. This concept reflects each part of the plant, where cannabinoids and terpenes harmoniously create the complete experience.
“We currently source our products from a few growers around Maine and have it all processed by White Label Apothecary,” explains Zack. “We will be launching a new ready-to-drink Cannabis cocktail line using strain-specific solventless hash from a different grower for each flavor – pairing specific terpenes with the flavor profiles of the beverages.” Currently, the company specializes in drink elixirs and ready-to-drink beverages – formulating the elixirs using full-spectrum Cannabis, and made with 100% real fruit and organic blue agave for sweetener. These elixirs are perfect for consuming discreetly, on the go, or an as alternative to an alcoholic beverage.
Zack notes that some companies are content using low-grade or synthetic components that take away from what the plant is capable of offering. “We don’t like how it’s been normalized that because it’s an edible, it has to be made from cheap ingredients that we otherwise would not eat if it didn’t contain Cannabis. We want to put just as much passion into our edibles as the growers put into their plant,” he explains. And at Squier’s Specialty Edibles, there are no artificial flavors or food colorings added – just real, gourmet, chef-driven ingredients.
Soon, Squier’s Edibles Chef Zack Squier will have his new facility in Portland up and running – but in the meantime, you can find his elixirs at select retailers via the Squier’s Edibles website. His latest flavors include Maine blueberry and lemon, raspberry lime, mandarin mango, pink pineapple, strawberry rhubarb, sleepy time blackberry lavender, strawberry hibiscus made with organic Egyptian hibiscus petals, and pineapple candied ginger made with lemongrass and organic Peruvian ginger. In essence, tannins and terpenes galore. The idea is to mix these unique enhancers with beverages, baked goods, or any recipe that they suit.
The days of using ordinary store-bought mixers to whip up your favorite cocktail will not be missed with Squier’s delicious, full-spectrum, fresh and ready-to-pour, 100% real fruit elixirs.
