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Pairing Cannabis with Fine Dining for a New Experience

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As cannabis continues to become more mainstream, we are finding more and more that people want to enjoy it in a social setting – and at the same sort of events where you might expect to find an open bar or wine tasting. The wedding industry in Colorado, for example, has seen a great interest in things like budtenders, and cannabis-themed parties. This past weekend, one of the first fine dining and craft cannabis tasting events took place at Planet Bluegrass, an outdoor venue in Lyons, Colorado.

The event cost diners $200 a plate – and was definitely a one of a kind experience with a gourmet three course meal, paired with two different craft cannabis strains as well as shaved, cannabis infused chocolate to top their desserts. The meal started off with a strain with a strong citrus aroma, paired with a fall salad with apples and dates; followed by a heavier and sweeter strain to accompany an entrée of slow-roasted pork shoulder in a mole sauce, with charred root vegetables and rice on the side.

During this meal, diners were able to consume marijuana via small glass pipes and lighters, which were supplied at their tables – or they also had the option of having their cannabis rolled into a joint by a professional roller, who was set up next to a bartender who was pouring wine for guests as well. Since cannabis cannot be sold at the same establishment as food and alcohol guests had to purchase their cannabis pairings as an additional $25 “goody bag” of sorts from a dispensary.

“We talk with the (marijuana) grower to understand what traits they saw in the marijuana… whether it’s earthy notes, citrus notes, herbal notes, things that we could play off,” said Corey Buck, head of catering for Blackbelly Restaurant, a top-rated farm-to-table restaurant that provided the meal.

This was a first of it’s kind event, but one that will probably grow in popularity if parts of Colorado pass social use initiatives this November. The hope is that an event like this brings cannabis away from the stereotype of being associated only with junk food, and instead become something you would expect to find at even the most sophisticated of events. After all, connoisseurs of cannabis will tell you that each strain has its own specific flavor profile – sweet, citrus, pine, skunk, earth, berry; they all come together to create a different flavor and experience each time. So it was really only a matter of time before people started trying to pair great cannabis flavors, munchies and some amazing food for a unique and memorable experience.

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