CBD Drinks: New Ways to Include CBD in Your Wellness Routine

As CBD use continues to gain popularity, you might notice new ways of enjoying it. From CBD capsules to gummies and more, it’s easier than ever to use CBD as part of a healthy lifestyle. One of the simplest ways to reap the potential benefits of CBD is by adding it to your favorite beverages to make your own CBD drinks at home or on the go.

In this guide, we’ll explore some of the reasons why you might want to add CBD to your morning coffee, afternoon tea, evening cocktails, and beyond. You’ll also learn some tips for choosing the best CBD products for your needs along with ideas for getting started with CBD drinks.

Why Add CBD to Your Drinks?

Whether you’re new to CBD or looking for fresh ways to incorporate it into your wellness routine, there are plenty of reasons to start making your own CBD drinks.

But let’s start with the basics. CBD stands for cannabidiol and comes from the buds of the hemp plant. Researchers have discovered CBD is one of at least 85 cannabinoids found in the plant. These compounds interact with your endocannabinoid system (or ECS), which influences memory, sleep, mood, hormones, immunity, pain sensation, and appetite.

A full spectrum CBD blend contains a range of cannabinoids, including THC. But there’s no need to worry about any psychoactive effects. Per the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp products must contain less than 0.3% THC content.

Full spectrum CBD also contains terpenes, which are aromatic compounds responsible for giving plants their color and aroma. They can also function as an anti-inflammatory in the body.

CBD has a calming and balancing effect. While more studies are still ongoing about the potential benefits of CBD, customers have reported how CBD oil has helped their everyday life in a variety of ways. By adding CBD to your beverages, you may help your body and mind find a sense of ease throughout your day. Even more, CBD oil can compound the benefits your favorite drinks have to offer (more on that soon).

When you’re ready to pick out your CBD products, we suggest keeping a few things in mind while you shop. Here’s what to look for:

• Quality Assurance: Even though hemp products are widely available, it’s still a relatively new industry and isn’t regulated by the FDA. As such, it’s a good idea to look for brands that pride themselves on high-quality CBD products and transparency. Each one of Populum’s CBD products comes with third-party lab results that include cannabinoid and terpenes profiles and verification of how much CBD is in your oil, capsule, or tincture.

• Opt for Full Spectrum Blends: It’s easy to think CBD oil is only about CBD, but that’s not the case. A full spectrum CBD blend will have a range of cannabinoids such as CBN, CBG, and CBC. Isolates, on the other hand, only give you the benefits of one specific cannabinoid.

• Embrace the Entourage Effect: Only full spectrum CBD blends give you cannabinoids and terpenes together in one formula. The entourage effect hypothesizes that cannabinoids and terpenes work together to create more positive results than CBD alone.

Populum’s CBD oil uses ethically grown hemp from Colorado and is a full spectrum blend. It comes in an unflavored unflavored formula and an orange flavor. Both are perfect for making your own CBD drinks and come with lab results verifying your cannabinoid and terpene profiles.

Different Kinds of CBD Drinks

Now that you know what to look for when choosing a CBD oil or tincture, let's explore different ways of creating CBD drinks. While you can purchase them online, nothing beats making your own CBD-infused beverages.

For starters, going the DIY route means you control the quality (and quantity) of CBD. You choose the right dosage for your needs, and you get to enjoy your CBD drink however you please. From adding a few drops to sparkling water or cozying up with a mug of CBD hot cocoa, the choice is yours. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Infusing CBD With Coffee

Even though you can buy premade CBD coffee, it’s hard to beat the convenience of making it at home just the way you like it. Whether you prefer a latte, mocha, cold-brew, or black coffee on its own, it’s easy adding a CBD tincture to your cup.

If you’ve ever consumed too much caffeine, you know how it can affect your body — anxiety, insomnia, digestive issues, and rapid heart rate, just to name a few. By balancing your coffee with CBD oil, you can swap caffeine's unpleasant side effects for a calm and focused state.

Try using a flavorless CBD tincture when preparing your morning brew. We always recommend starting low and slow with your CBD dose until you get a feel for how your body responds. You can always adjust your dosage as needed.

Mixing CBD With Tea

Perhaps you prefer to start your day with tea, or maybe it’s your favorite way to unwind at the end of a long day. Either way, CBD tea might be the perfect CBD drink for you.

There are several different varieties of tea to choose from. Here are a few you might enjoy:

• Herbal Teas: Herbal teas (also called tisanes) are caffeine-free and perfect any time of day. Try curling up with chamomile before bed or hibiscus for an afternoon tea break.

• Black Teas: Rich in antioxidants, black teas have less caffeine than coffee and are ideal if you’d like a little pick-me-up during the day. Chai tea has a rich spiciness, but if you’d like something lighter, a peach-ginger black tea blend would be delicious as well. Add a drop or two of CBD oil to your cup to give it a boost.

• Green Teas: Like black tea, green tea is generally lower in caffeine than coffee, but it depends on the variety and how long you steep it. Try matcha for a more herbaceous flavor and jasmine green tea if you’d like something more floral. (Hint: Populum’s original full spectrum tincture would be delicious here with its award-winning orange flavor).

If you have a bit of a sweet tooth, we suggest sticking with natural sweeteners for your coffee and tea — Populum’s Orange + CBD Raw Honey is an ideal choice. Made with raw organic honey, hemp extract, and organic oranges, it’s just what you need for making the perfect cup of sweetened tea.

CBD With Herbal Tonics

Herbal tonics help promote overall well-being and fit in well with a healthy lifestyle. For example, adaptogens such as ashwagandha, turmeric, chaga, or digestive bitters can all be used in herbal tonics and provide health benefits such as managing stress and improving digestion or immunity.

You can easily enhance the benefits of your herbal tonics by turning them into CBD drinks. Full spectrum CBD tinctures made with healthy fats from grape seed or hemp seed oils can increase the bioavailability of antioxidants and other nutrients depending on what you're preparing.

If you’re looking for a zero-sugar option for sweetening your CBD drinks, start with a few drops of stevia (a little goes a long way).

CBD With Alcohol and Other Drinks

Believe it or not, CBD and alcohol are a complementary match. While drinking alcohol can create an inflammatory state and may negatively impact how neurons are formed and survive, researchers have discovered that CBD can help modulate inflammation and reduce oxidative stress in the liver, while protecting neurons in your brain.

Get creative with your cocktails. Enjoy a CBD-infused Moscow Mule or play around with different flavors and soda combinations like these (look for sodas with natural ingredients if you can):

• Grapefruit

• Black cherry

• Blood orange

• Ginger ale

• Watermelon

• Pomegranate

Another option is adding your CBD to a drinking vinegar or shrub. These drinks were popular during the 18th century and are made from things you likely already have in your kitchen: sugar, fruit, and vinegar. Simply add a few drops of CBD and rosemary sprig for a refreshing CBD drink.

Don't forget, you can always pass on making cocktails or CBD sodas and stick to making CBD water instead. Like the other drinks on our list, seltzer or sparkling water and kombucha are perfect vehicles for CBD oil. You can also consider adding a few drops to your coconut water to restore post-workout electrolytes and aid recovery.

Use CBD Drinks as Part of Your Wellness Plan

Crafting perfect CBD drinks is more doable than you think. Throughout your day, there are many opportunities to enhance any of your favorite beverages with the benefits of CBD. You can spread out your dose or take it as needed on a schedule that works for you. Just remember to follow the directions on your bottle and give yourself time to adjust. From the massage table to the breakfast table and everything in between, CBD can be an excellent addition to any health routine.