This lemon cordial recipe will elevate your cannabis-infused beverages

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Whether you make it at home or find it in a store, cannabis tinctures are an easy and effective way to consume the plant. They're also almost always pretty foul tasting.

Fortunately, the right flavor pairings can turn the experience of consuming tincture from one more like begrudgingly swallowing cough syrup into a truly pleasurable drinking experience. This lemon cordial recipe involves concentrated citrus that cuts through the earthy and dank cannabis flavor without completely overwhelming it like the mass-produced infused beverages available in stores.

The ingredient list is almost deceivingly short, because the lemons play multiple parts throughout the process. Their zest will add a candy-like sweetness, while the juice punches through with the tangy, sour citrus flavor. Even the water will take on some lemon essence along the way.

• Zest all of the lemons, making sure to only get the outermost yellow layer and not the bitter white interior of the peel.
• Place the lemons in a large pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil.
• Turn off the heat and remove the lemons from the pot, but reserve the water. When the lemons are cool enough to handle, slice and juice them.
• Once you know how much lemon juice you have, take an equal amount of the reserved water and transfer it to a smaller pot.
• Add the lemon zest and sugar to the transferred water and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
• Add the lemon juice and return to a boil.
• Cool, strain and refrigerate.
• Depending on the size of your lemons, this will produce approximately 4 cups of cordial.
• Once the cordial has been made, it can be mixed with just about anything. I prefer to add the tincture on an as-used basis to maintain freshness. Mixing it in all at once creates an unappealing cloudy appearance in the cordial and leads to a funky flavor after a few days.

My favorite way to use the cordial is to pour an ounce or two into a glass, splash in a small dose of tincture, and then add a 12-ounce can of sparkling water — passionfruit LaCroix pairs very nicely. Adding the sparkling water last mixes everything together, so there is no need to stir.

The cordial will keep for about two weeks if sealed in the refrigerator, but I've never had to worry about it lasting that long.