A Perfect Day of Cannabis and Beer Pairings

Wake and bake

A good wake and bake can set the tone for a great day. I like going fruity in the morning—for health. Ching Ching from Bend Brewing Co. pairs perfectly with Mango Kush from Eugreen Horticulture. Although it’s an indica-heavy hybrid, this strain has an energetic body high to get you moving. The tart pomegranate and hibiscus flavors in the beer make it about as close to fruit juice as you can get, and the low ABV and THC percentages won’t overpower you at the start of the day.

Midmorning

Around lunchtime, I tend to go with a pale ale and a sativa-heavy hybrid with about 20 percent THC. The light hops in Barley Brown’s Hand Truck and the earthy flavor of Permafrost by Rogue Buds tasted great together. This pairing wasn’t too heavy and gave me a good head buzz to match the body high from breakfast.

Midafternoon

Day drinking is just about the most fun activity on the planet, but you have to be careful about going overboard. The Green Crack distillate pen cartridge by Clear Path is the perfect sativa extract for walking around town. In my opinion it’s the smoothest and cleanest cartridge on the market, leaving virtually no aftertaste. I like lagers in the afternoon, and The Commons’ Pilsner is my favorite right now. It’s all about regulation at this point, and you can control your buzz with pen hits and low-alcohol beers so you can actually make it to dinner in respectable form.

Dinner

The most important decision of the day is where to eat dinner, and you certainly don’t want to go sober. This is the time to ramp up the intoxicants so you’re feeling spectacular after being seated. A half-gram joint of a sativa-heavy hybrid like Super Silver Haze from Scissortail Farms has well-balanced piney and citrusy notes, much like Breakside IPA. Every time I smoke this strain—at 25 percent THC—I feel like I’ve never eaten in my life, so having a beer that is flavorful without filling me up is key. This pairing gives you the right mix of being talkative while focusing on the flavors of your meal, and doesn’t wreck your palate with overbearing hop or cannabis flavors.

Dessert

Like a true stoner, I’m a little kid at heart. So when I went to Treehouse Collective and told the budtenders I wanted to pair an indica with Sunriver Cocoa Cow Chocolate Milk Stout, they didn’t hesitate to say, “Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies.” Mentally, milk and cookies always work well together, and this might be the closest thing to adult chocolate milk I’ve ever encountered. The thick, heavy, milky bong hits I took just added to the fun and gave me a super-focused, intense head high. My couch never felt so comfortable.