For those abstaining from alcohol — or just looking to try something new — there's a new way to get a buzz on at Oakland's Copper Spoon.
Late last month, the North Oakland watering hole and kitchen known for its locally-focused cuisine, introduced a cannabidiol-infused mocktail to its lineup of craft cocktails. Also known as CBD, the compound is found naturally in cannabis and hemp plants and some believe it to have myriad health benefits.
Co-owner Vita Simone Strauss told Hoodline via telephone that adding CBD to the pub's drinks was a natural progression. "We already use ashwagandha (an adaptogen) in some of our cocktails and people really love it," she said. "We began researching what else we could do with our ABC license and found that [CBD] adds a really nice herby flavor to our mocktails."
Strauss said that Copper Spoon only uses CBD extract sourced from hemp plants, as it's not currently legal to infuse cannabis-based CBD oils at drinking establishments due to slight traces of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of weed that makes you high.
New to Copper Spoon: non-alcoholic drinks with a buzz. #cbddrink 🍹with #turmerichoney and #carrot shrub. Try a #newday tonight!#CBD #Mocktail #Cannabis #Hemp pic.twitter.com/iYrKJonYdw
— Copper Spoon (@copperspoonoak) July 28, 2018
Last month, the FDA approved a drug comprised of CBD, called Epidiolex, for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare forms of epilepsy. It’s the first FDA-approved drug that contains a purified drug substance derived from cannabis. Additionally, some research has suggested that CBD may help with pain management, has anti-inflammatory properties, reduces stress and anxiety, among other potential benefits."
"We want people who don't drink alcohol to be able to go out and have an unusual drinking experience through herbal-infused drinks," said Strauss. "My father was an herbalist — it's been in our roots for a long time."
Copper Spoon's CBD mocktail, called Newday, is made with turmeric honey, carrot shrub, soda water and lemon, said Strauss.
And if you're in the mood for something boozy, Strauss said they've added CBD to one of its popular cocktail iterations: Kisses from Yayamu, made with Ford's Gin, Chareau, rhubarb amaro, strawberry shrub and lemon.
Additionally, she said, customers can add the extract to any of the bar's drinks for $2. "One woman asked us to put half a sleeve of the dropper in her beer," Strauss said.
As CBD becomes more widely accepted, other Bay Area businesses have jumped on the trend as well.
This past April, Project Juice began adding CBD oil to its smoothies and juices upon request at its Hayes Valley, Castro, Russian Hill and Mid-Market locations. And the Castro's Flore, which aims to eventually open the city's first cannabis cafe, has been serving CBD-infused cocktails since last fall.
Cooper Spoon is open daily 5:30 p.m. – 2 a.m. with additional brunch service on Sunday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
