by Dan Ketchum

In case you missed it, THC drinks are here to stay and they f**king rule. Tough Mama’s Yolo Shotz are on the frontline, packing way more THC — which means way more individual shots and cannabis drinks per bottle — than most of those other bougie options on the shelf. But what do you do with this revolutionary liquified stoner tech? First you make drinks, then you get nice and high. Start with eight of our faves, from classics to deep cuts to Tough Mama originals.  

So How Does This Work?

Whether you’re Cali sober, want to shake up your night life, or just, ya know, love weed, cannabis drinks offer up yet another way to indulge in everyone’s favorite flower. Here’s how it works: while old cannabis drinks were kind of a chunky mess, cutting-edge emulsion tech has made it possible to smoothly, seamlessly infuse THC into pretty much any beverage you can dream of (our Hi-Phi solventless cured resin tech makes it even smoother). That’s why you’ve noticed so many bevvies popping up at the local dispensary. And unlike the popular CBD drinks that came before, THC drinks contain psychoactives, which means they do get you baked. 

For the most part, you’ll find that each of these marijuana drinks contains about 2mg to 100mg of THC per container or serving. You know we go hard, so Mama’s own Yolo Shotz are at the high end, with a hundo milligrams of the good stuff per bottle. While dosages vary per brand and bottle, we recommend about 5mg of Yolo Shotz per each canna-cocktail, or about 10mg per shot. You can expect that euphoric high to kick in after about 7 to 15 minutes, thanks to Mama’s rapid onset nano-emulsion tech (she’s smart for a monkey).     

The Classics

While some cannabis drinks are hyper specific, fruit flavored Yolo Shots are versatile — they work as solo sips or straight shooters, but they also lend themselves to more totally booze-free cannabis-infused cocktails and creative shots than you can count. Let’s start with what you know. These recipes still taste like the cocktails you love, but a little Tough Mama magic transforms old-school booze drinks into new-school marijuana drink classics.   

Mama Collins

Stir up the iconic Tom Collins (literally) with a lil’ Yolo lime spark.

• 1.5 ounce fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• .75 ounce simple syrup
• 5mg (one capful) Tough Mama Yolo Shotz Lemon Lime
• Club soda over ice to top of Tom Collins glass
• Stir, garnish with a lemon wheel and maraschino cherry

Twisted Coke

The rum and Coke is dead, the whiskey and Coke is buried. Long live our new cherry-berry-flavored overlords.

• 5mg (one capful) Tough Mama Yolo Shotz Berry Crush
• 4 oz. Coca-Cola Cherry in a rocks glass, over ice
• Garnish with unnaturally red cocktail cherry, a dash of cherry juice from can, and a gentle stir

Mamarita

Mama loves a marg, but she don’t need $40 tequila when she can have $15 Yolo Shotz and a much better body and mind high.

• 2 ounces lime-flavored sparkling water, frozen and cubed
• ½ ounce shot of blood orange juice
• 1 ounce lime juice, frozen and cubed
• ½ ounce agave syrup
• 5mg (one capful) Tough Mama Yolo Shotz Lemon Lime
• Combine in blender, serve in kosher salt-rimmed margarita glass garnished with lime wheel

Summertime Vibes

Whether it’s a rager or a slow-burning day in the backyard under the summertime sun, THC-infused cannabis drinks make for a lighter, brighter experience than the typical boozy alternatives. Here’s how to keep the vibe flowing on those long summer days.

Slow Sippin’ 

Mama’s own variation on the wonderfully extra Pimm’s Cup, sans Pimm’s plus your best friends. Savor them all.

• 2 ounces non-alcoholic digestive with a fruity profile, like Eva’s Spritz
• ½ ounce fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 5mg (one capful) Tough Mama Yolo Shotz Berry Crush
• Ginger ale to top of tumbler over ice and stir
• Garnish with (get ready) cucumber slice, mint spring, strawberry, lemon wheel, and orange wheel

La Estrella

East Coast Death & Co. bartender Phil Ward came up with this divine craft cocktail, we just put a Tough Mama-flavored spin on it.

• Muddle 4 sugar cubes and 1 ounce of club soda until the sugar dissolves
• Muddle 4 one-inch chunks of watermelon into the mixture
• Add 2 ounces apple cider, 1 ounce fresh lime juice, and a pinch of cayenne pepper, then stir till chilled
• Strain over a snifter and one large ice cube, add 5mg (one capful) Tough Mama Yolo Shotz Watermelon Lime
• Fill with 2 ounces club soda, gently stir
• Garnish with a strawberry and a pineapple slice

Cool Weather Canna-Cocktails

When it cools down outside (it’s 2022 and we’re in SoCal, does it cool down outside?), you deserve to wind down inside. Whether you’re at a swaggy fireside or just chilling under a blanket with bae, these non-spirits help you embrace the cozy spirit of the season. 

The Cozy Mogul

Created by Gran Coramino Tequila, and zaza-ified by Tough Mama. A surprising garnish is really gonna impress your cuffing season date, trust us.

• 1 ounce lime juice
• 3 ounces prickly pear puree 
• 1 ounce agave syrup
• 5mg (one capful) Tough Mama Yolo Shotz Lemon Lime
• Shake and strain over ice in rocks glass
• Garnish with eucalyptus sprig (nice)

Cranberry Claus

From cranberry flavor to Christmas colors, the Cranberry Claus captures the holiday season, and gets you high enough to deal with your crazy aunts.

• 3 ounce cranberry juice
• ½ ounce lemon juice
• 1 ounce orange tonic water
• 5mg (one capful) Tough Mama Yolo Shotz Berry Crush
• Stir in tumbler, garnish with frozen cranberries and sprig of rosemary

The Big Batch: Punch Up Your Party 

Another great thing about cannabis drinks? They won’t suck your paycheck away like a money vampire the way liquor does. Mama’s Yolo Shotz run you $15, and when you dump a single bottle into a party-sized punch bowl, you’ve just served up 20 drinks with 5mg of THC each. That’s $0.75 a drink — “happy hour” drinks for $7 a pop, my ass.

Watermelon Punch-Out

• Scoop out a 15-pound-ish watermelon till it’s hollow (that’s right, we’re DOING THIS)
• Blend the seedless watermelon into a fine, juicy pulp
• Add 7 cups of raspberry lemonade (the fresher the better) to the melon bowl, then strain all that sweet-assed watermelon juice in
• Pour in 100mg (one bottle) Tough Mama Yolo Shotz Tropical Punch
• Stir thoroughly, add a ladle, and garnish with handfuls of fresh raspberries and floating lemon slices — makes 20 canna-cocktail-sized servings

Why have booze when you can have a marijuana drink with a better high, less calories, and no nasty hangovers before work the next morning? I mean, you do know what YOLO stands for, right? 

So let’s get to living. And while you’re living it up, mix up a few of your own canna-cocktail creations and tag us on Insta with @toughmamaofficial so we can share your brilliance – and highness – with the world. Can’t wait to see (and sip) what you come up with. 🥂