“This isn’t a drink I would want to guzzle down with a fast food meal on the go.”

There is an effervescent and herbal quality to both beverages that's deeply refreshing. The flavor leans botanical, with hardly a note of cannabis to be found. There is also an absence of the slick oiliness that is sometimes synonymous with weed drinks. Calexo uses a nano-emulsification process when infusing their beverages, which helps account for such a high-quality sparkling drink that delivers subtle, but notable flavors.

It’s a good thing it tastes good too, as you'll need to drink all 22 ounces to gain the full benefits of the 10 mg of THC. For me, it wasn't much of a problem as I was parched on a warm day when I reached for the Citrus Rose. I was instantly sold on the distinctive taste, and thankfully had nowhere else to be. I found that my setting was important. This isn’t a drink I would want to guzzle down with a fast-food meal on the go, it should really be sipped and appreciated.

While I enjoyed the Citrus Rose all on my own, I could easily see such a bottle being pulled out of one of those old-fashioned wicker picnic baskets and relished as part of a day in the park. This is really the perfect secluded beach companion, or Friday night glass of chill during dry January to eschew the booze.

If it’s a more intimate buzz you seek, pour a glass for you and one for your lovely lover. As my wife was out of town, I had the fortunate issue of having to down the entire bottle by my lonesome from my classy Tom Collins glass. It struck me as the correct vessel for such a drink, and I'm sure you'll agree. I plopped myself outside on the patio under the welcoming shade of an orange tree, really accentuating the whole citrus motif I was going for.

“When the last drop was poured and all 10 mg of THC had been absorbed, what followed was a real relaxation fest.”

Before long I slipped away into a state of bliss, but still had enough awareness to send out intermittent emails, or toss a stuffed toy for my dog. My canine companion spotted a squirrel, and a short-lived chase was on. In its frantic getaway, the squirrel darted across a flimsy branch right above my head, promptly soaking me with water still sitting in cupped leaves from a rainstorm the day before. Normally I would have been annoyed, but I realized I was buzzed before I had even finished the bottle because I instead found the whole thing amusing.

When the last drop was poured and the final milligram of THC had been absorbed, what followed was a real relaxation fest. The high had reached its peak and lingered for at least an hour. Laid-back vibes, helped along by some chill ambient music and mother nature supplying refreshing gusts of wind, lulled me into a sense of security. 

This was a high so nice I had to try it twice. The very next day at around the same hour, I headed back outside with Calexo's Cucumber Citron. Hints of cucumber and clear notes of lemon make this another refreshing drink for a warm-weather day. The taste is still devoid of cannabis, helping you forget it’s even medicated, and makes the high a surprise that you'll appreciate all the more. The taste is equally as refined as the Citrus Rose, and the high just as consistent. Both options are effective at chilling out your day with their reliable anti-anxiety attributes. In a time of quarantine, when being uplifted is welcomed from almost any source, these bubbly beverages gave me a getaway from the media maelstrom.