Sheesh

“Wine, beer, or shitty vodka drink?" my sister offered soon after I planted myself at her house one day. Now, I don’t mean to take the name of the great spritzer in vain– unfortunately, I do like my

drinks, and when I’m trying to claw back a few calories, those can be what I reach for. But Jen's description wasn't far from the truth.

Once, I saw these zero-cal sparklers called “A whisper of fruit drowning in a pool of questionable life choices.” Yes, I spend far too much time on Instagram. But drab product offerings can inspire great innovation, and these days, many people are choosing to skip the alcohol altogether for cannabis-infused drinks.

“There are so many synergies between alcohol and cannabis,” explains Jackie McAskill. Jackie’s new book, which she hopes will help reduce stigma, Chill: The Wine Lover’s Introduction to Cannabis, launched earlier this year. “They’re like cousins. When I drink wine, I want to understand the place and people, and cannabis consumers appreciate that, too. Drinking wine of a single varietal? That’s like appreciating a single strain.”

As a wine enthusiast and former senior buyer at the LCBO, Jackie started to notice the Canadian

cannabis market opening up and wine-loving friends turning to weed. She suddenly found

herself up late at night studying craft cannabis beverages for a refined palate.

“When we started thinking about making a cannabis beverage, we saw that in Canada, of the

211 drinks on the market, 210 of them used distillate, the equivalent of moonshine (and that’s

putting it nicely). We wanted to create a truly high- quality product.” Not a shitty cannabis drink. My words, not Jackie’s.

Jackie partnered with Matt Cherkas, and Sheesh Hash Sodas was born. Launched just over two

years ago, seemingly overnight, Sheesh became one of the best-selling cannabis beverages in the

country.

Sheesh is named for its key differentiator, the live, single-strain hash rosin they insisted on. In case my mom is reading and doesn’t know what this means, live hash rosin requires an intricate form of processing that cannabis connoisseurs appreciate; first, using a single strain of plant genetics ensures consistent, describable effects.

Then, the “live” plant matter is fresh frozen rather than dried and cured, reducing potential

degradation. Then, hash is made, by agitating the weed in ice water (as opposed to using a chemical

solvent). Finally, the rosin bit is creating oil with heat and pressure, again, without solvents.

“Using live rosin maintains the integrity of the plant,” Jackie says. “The terpenes and other parts of the plant are protected. Our cannabis is sourced from Canada’s best growers from across the

country. Quality, taste, and place have always been our highest priorities in making these colas and

sodas.”

Sheesh’s website jokes, “Friends don’t let friends drink mids.” And it’s true! These 10 mg cannabis-

infused drinks are crazy delicious. The sodas are made without artificial flavours; the cherry juice

for the Black Cherry Hash Cola comes from a single farm in Ontario wine country, and the

tangerine puree for Tangerine Dream was one of eighteen options the team tasted out of California.

What’s next for Sheesh? “We can’t wait to iron out some distribution bottlenecks to increase product availability,” Jackie admits. “We love our new product. They are gummies that match the

primary flavours of the colas. We’re excited to watch offerings grow in the cannabis market, and to be part of it as leaders insisting on the highest quality and taste standards.”

It’s not easy to be a smaller craft creator in a sea of regulation and deep pockets, but I truly believe

that dedicated consumers and solid products will help the infused cream rise to the top (you edibles

people get me, right?).

You’ll find Sheesh Hash Sodas across the country this May or can grab gummies in Ontario stores

whenever you like. And while you’re sampling, staring into space convinced you can taste the

Ontario in the cherry, call to share your experience with Sheesh’s fun feedback number,

1-833-POTLINE.

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ANN ALLCHIN @anninfusion

Ann is the author of two edibles cookbooks that tell stories of cannabis trailblazers through time, Butter & Flower and Stoned. She mostly solo smokes in her small Toronto yard when her two judgey teens aren’t looking.