Your daily CBD fix - served with ice and a twist of orange
There are seven scientifically backed benefits of CBD with more being discovered all the time. As health, wellness and self-care become more important in our daily lives, CBD’s positive impact on anxiety and depression also becomes more prevalent.
As we all know, alcohol is a depressant and drinking with depression or anxiety is adding fuel to the fire (not to mention the dreaded hangxiety!)
So, when we realised we could sit down with an alternative to a G&T infused with CBD for our added dose of calm, we were all about giving it a go. Not only did it taste delicious - served in a beautiful glass with a bright pop of orange in a misty liquid, but it also made us feel pretty great too after a few days.
Maria & Craig’s botanical spirit have combined premium CBD isolate from natural hemp, distilled juniper, sage, camomile and orange blossom.
So, where did they come from and how did it all begin?
Back in 2018, Maria and her husband Craig launched CEDER’s non-alcoholic alt-gin. Among the first to launch a non-alcoholic spirit, Maria & Craig are again among the first to launch a non- alcoholic adult spirit with CBD.
For a perfect serve, just pour 50ml Maria & Craig’s over ice, add 150ml premium tonic and garnish with a fresh orange peel.
What does a glass of Maria & Craig’s taste like?
Maria tells us “We wanted to create a sophisticated, not too sweet, slightly bitter non-alcoholic spirit - not completely unlike gin, that would be suitable for mixing non-alcoholic drinks. We think we have come up with the perfect balance and it is delicious mixed with a premium tonic and a slice of orange. Simple as that.”
With CBD having a rocky start from a bad rep associated with cannabis and questions such as ‘will this get me high?’ negative connotations are starting to be eroded by both the positive stories and the increased education and awareness around Hemp and CBD. There is undoubtedly more to be done however.
With a particularly pressing year for us all, we asked Maria whether they have seen an increased demand for CBD and functional products, “Oh yes, there has been a big increase in interest and demand for CBD products. I think a lot of people are curious about the effect and benefits of CBD and like to explore new products that can lead to increased wellness, along with enjoyment. CBD has a lot of proven health benefits such as helping to reduce anxiety, improve sleep and provide relaxation. It is also important to point out that all the potential positive effect of CBD are unique to each individual, so it is not really a one size fits all situation”.
How many CBD infused drinks are recommended?
“There isn’t really a limit. In the UK, you are recommended not to exceed 70mg a day. One bottle of Maria & Craig’s contains 25mg of CBD and makes 10 delicious drinks. That is 2.5mg per serve which in CBD terms is pretty low. You would need to consume quite a few drinks to hit daily limit.”
How will I feel after drinking my Maria & Craig’s?
As Maria mentioned earlier, the reason why you might decide to embark on your own CBD journey is personal to you and the benefits are also unique to each individual. You might decide to take it to improve your sleep, make you feel calm, ease your aches - but what I would say is, there are so many benefits being discovered, why not sit down with a delicious drink in hand and assess the impact on you personally - you don’t even have to think about it too much beforehand.
As I find sharing journey’s helpful and interesting, I will share with you mine today. I started incorporating CBD into my daily routine around two months ago. I made that decision as I was still struggling with Anxiety bubbling away under the surface (something that made an appearance In January 2021 following the Pandemic for the first time in the life and hit me life a tonne of
bricks!) It was getting better, but I still wasn’t 100% in the moment as I would describe it. The second reason was for my seizures. I have Frontal-Lobe Epilepsy which has also deteriorated during the Pandemic. I have around a seizure every two weeks and I felt the seizures and anxiety came hand in hand - who knows though.
There has been positive research around CBD and Epilepsy, however it is typically for children and for a specific kind of Epilepsy, however I was up for giving it a go anyway.
I was taking it for a week or two and there wasn’t a noticeable difference in myself, however I then went on holiday. Calm, in my happy place and with a huge smile on my face that you couldn’t wipe off - however I started to feel the bubbling Anxiety feeling again, for no reason. That was the day I realised the CBD has been working wonders.
When I returned home, I started incorporating it to my routine again and have been ever since.
Similarly, returning home, I hadn’t had a seizure for just over three weeks, a week longer than my two week seizure cycle. The night I had a seizure, I hadn’t had my CBD for the day, so who knows if it may have been longer.
I am in early days of knowing whether CBD has an impact on my seizures or whether it is coincidence. The brain is a complex thing, but for now, I am happy to hold onto it and happy to see a three week cycle happening!
Whatever your reason for looking into CBD, hey, maybe there is no reason at all to begin with, we raise a glass of M&C’s to you all - because you deserve it.
You can buy Maria & Craig’s here for your own bottle! @maria_and_craigs
You can also take a look at JOMO Club’s Limited Edition CBD Box for Maria & Craig’s.