Chris Shepherd: Cheeseburgers and CBD

Photo credit: Houston Press

In addition to all the other irons he has in the fire, Shepherd is collaborating with Bayou City Hemp Co. to launch a series of CBD cocktails at four Underbelly Hospitality concepts. The use of cannabidiol (CBD) in cocktails is a first for Shepherd and he has chosen Texas' first and leading company in hemp processing and extraction. Bayou City Hemp Co. creates a distillate, Mixer Elixir, which will be used at four Underbelly restaurants with each having its own signature drink.

Mixer Elixir is extracted and produced in Houston and is a water-based soluble CBD with a better absorption rate in the body, using proprietary nano-emulsion technology which increases the absorption in the body to as much as 90 percent. That means the benefits are felt faster and more effectively.

The research on the benefits of CBD can be varied and not everyone is on board with its miracle status but for those who like it and feel it does a body good, they will be able to enjoy it in cocktail form with Mixer Elixir CBD. At One Fifth (is it really going to close soon?) there will be the Cooler, made with lemon, mixed fruit and ginger beer. Georgia James will offer the Grass Snake, with salted grapefruit tonic, lemon, passion fruit and soda. For those who have run out of new pints to try at Hay Merchant, they can opt for the Swashbuckle, a concoction of lemon, elderflower, hops, prickly pear and tonic water. At UB Preserv, the Streetcar contains blood orange, lemon, mint and tonic water. In each of the drinks, the addition of Mixer Elixir CBD helps to amplify the ingredients. All four of the cocktails can be ordered with or without alcohol.