Become A Weed Connoisseur By Pairing Your Bud With The Perfect IPAs

In the world of culinary arts, weed is making an enormous impact. More and more chefs are taking advantage of the incredibly diverse palette of aromas and tastes cannabis has to offer. Culinary artists love to experiment with those possibilities. And their creativity has led to the discovery of some intense and unique flavor combinations. But mastering the knowledge of those seemingly infinite combinations is something else entirely. And that is where weed connoisseurs come in. They know how to pair cannabis with other foods and beverages in ways that take both to new levels. Interested? We are here to help. Here’s how to start your journey to becoming a weed connoisseur by pairing your bud with the perfect IPAs.

Why IPAs?

Of course, you can pair weed with any kind of beer you like. But a real weed connoisseur should be an expert in pairing weed with one type of brew in particular: IPAs. And there’s one main reason for that.

India Pale Ales are the beers that have the most in common with cannabis. You’ve probably sipped on some incredible craft IPAs before and thought to yourself: hey, this smells like weed!

And in fact, it’s because cannabis and hops are genetic cousins. The same compound that gives cannabis its signature aroma is also in the hops that make your beer. Hops and cannabis buds even look the same to the unlearned eye.

Brewing hops releases the resins and oils in the buds, especially a compound called myrcene. Myrcene is one of cannabis’ many “terpenes,” the aromatic chemicals that give strains their signature tastes.

IPAs, and their beefier counterparts, Double IPAs, are the hoppiest variety of brew. So that’s why your beer smells like weed.

Because they are so closely related, pairing the hops in IPAs with the perfect strain of cannabis makes for an incredible smoking and drinking experience. There’s no better place to start becoming a weed connoisseur.

The Perfect Bud and IPA Pairings

A weed connoisseur who wants to create the perfect bud and IPA pairings needs to keep one principle in mind. Because of the dry, bitter, ultra-hoppy taste and aroma of IPAs, strains with a balanced blend of sweet and spicy are the best for pairing with IPAs.

Pairing IPAs with Indica Strains

Sweet and spicy Indicas are pretty easy to come by, but there’s one strain that puts itself a step above the rest.

Every budding weed connoisseur should know about Platinum Kush, the medium-heavy indica. In the flavor department, Platinum Kush has a dense fruity taste with a spicy flourish on the tail. The herbal, hashy aroma blends perfectly with a freshly poured IPA.

Platinum Kush is every bit as pungent as its looks suggest. PK has dark green, densely packed buds, flanged with purple and robbed in a thick coat of platinum resin. Dark and bright, sweet and spicy; that’s Platinum Kush.

The one-two punch of the strain makes it pair perfectly with a wide variety of IPAs. Beginning with a strong sweet grape and berry flavor that fades into a spicy, peppery kick, Platinum Kush is the perfect Indica for ultra-hoppy IPAs and DIPAs.

Pairing IPAs with Sativa Strains

Sativas are generally on the brighter, livelier end of the cannabis flavor spectrum. That makes pairing them with bright, citrusy easy and fun.

Sativas pair perfectly with IPAs that have a dialed down malt note that brings out the grapefruit and lemon notes of the hops. A weed connoisseur who’s in the know knows there’s only one choice when it comes to the perfect sativa to pair with those IPAs: Haze.

A pure sativa, Haze is a grandmother strain for a serious number of hybrids and other pure sativas. A truly cosmopolitan strain, Haze blends a global heritage of genetics with the sunny southern California grow style. No wonder Haze has been a legendary strain since its birth in the 1960s.

Unlike the sugary, berry sweetness of Indicas, the sweetness Haze brings to the table is lemony and earthy. The citrus tang imparts a lingering spicy taste.

In the aroma department, Haze perfectly complements the tangy, earthy buzz of fresh hop flavors and aromas. And the citrus smells harmonize with the grapefruit notes in the IPA.

The bright, uplifting combination is perfect for sunny summer outings or enjoying a boisterous afternoon on the porch sipping beers and smoking bud.

Pairing IPAs With Hybrid Strains

Hybrids of pure Sativa and Indica strains are highly versatile partners for pairing with IPAs. As a weed connoisseur, however, you’ll be expected to know which IPAs go best with which hybrids.

Hybrids tend to be either sativa or indica dominants and knowing which is which will help you make the perfect selection in the beer isle.

As you might expect, Haze strains and Kush strains are found in a wide array of hybrids. And of course, any of those hybrid strains of cannabis would go well an IPA.

So let’s take a look hybrid strains that aren’t a blend of either Haze or Kush, but that still have the perfect blend of sweet and spicy for pairing with IPAs.

White Widow: The Perfect Hybrid To Pair With Heavy IPAs and DIPAs

White widow is an indica-dominant hybrid strain that packs as big a punch as the Extra IPA it pairs perfectly with.

And in fact, White Widow’s Indica genetics help make it one of the strains with the highest levels of myrcene on the planet. Both hops and cannabis have myrcene. Extra IPAs or Double IPAs, naturally, are loaded with those terpenes.

The earthy, smoky sweetness and rich spice of DIPAs and White Widow make this one of the heaviest-hitting weed and IPA pairings you can make.

Bio-Diesel: The Perfect Hybrid To Pair With Brighter, Floral IPAs

Bio-Diesel is a multiple-award winning sativa-dominant hybrid. Its strength lies in the tangy, spicy aromas and flavors that give it its “diesel” namesake.

Bio-Diesel is revered by weed connoisseurs far and wide, and for good reason. The sativa elements of the hybrid come on with quick velocity and high energy, perfect for pairing with brighter IPAs.