Leafly staffers Enjoli Coburn, Maria Sharp, Ben Adlin, and Will Hyde recently cozied up with some 10mg Happy Apple infused apple drinks. Available for purchase in Washington state for around $6, this “happy happy happy” beverage offered the group some non-weedy, not-too-sweet refreshment to wash down their Pearl2O-infused Mexican snacks.
Happy Apple describes itself as “the best-tasting 12-oz cannabis drink EVER made from 100% Washington apples and cannabis.” And while that may sound like a stretch taken at face value, it’s not so farfetched to say that this is the best pre-packaged cannabis-infused carbonated apple beverage I’ve had to-date. (For transparency’s sake, the only other cannabis-infused apple cider I’ve tasted was my own, and that recipe was for spiced cider.)
The flavor of Happy Apple is quite similar to Martinelli’s, with just a touch cannabis on the finish (although I did have a sip or two that had the acrid, bitter finish of cannabis concentrate—I recommend shaking the bottle slightly before consumption). It’s not overly sweet, with a bright apple flavor that is clean and crisp.
Happy Apple boasts no added sugars, flavors, or additives, and is still perfectly sweet and pleasurable on the palate. Each bottle is about 140 calories, and I’d gladly choose this beverage over an almost flavorless light beer with a similar calorie count. Unlike many other saccharine cannabis edibles, Happy Apple straddles the line between refreshing and satisfying, having a light enough body to quench my thirst while being flavorful enough to savor. Many sodas and lemonades in the cannabis space are sugar-forward and are best cut with soda water, but I think Happy Apple strikes a, well, happy balance.
I can see these cleanly designed bottles at a BBQ or tailgate party, paired with a nice pork chop and mash, or even as a float in a mocktail. The beverage’s effects are middle of the road, wrapping the body and mind in a centering aura. As far as effects, it can deliver a slightly uplifting mental state but isn’t particularly stimulating. I could image getting easily turnt on three or four of these tasty drinks, so savor your beverage and mind your dosing (because you and your drink will be gone, both figuratively and literally speaking, if you don’t).
