The ultimate hangover cure has arrived — Carbon Coffee and Habit Doughnut Dispensary are brewing beans a little bit differently. The doughnut, internet-cafe hybrid —  which is not a marijuana dispensary as the name might suggest — is now pouring a nitro cold brew coffee infused with CBD oil. The drink combines a high dose of caffeine with a non-psychoactive byproduct of hemp for a cold brew effect like nothing you can buy in an average restaurant.

The infused beans are nothing new to the cannabis market — but the ability to consume on-premise is somewhat of a big deal. Sträva Craft Coffee is currently supplying infused beans for on-site consumption directly to Carbon Coffee for use in its toddy-style, nitrous-charged cold brew coffee. Cayden Nigh — Habit’s coffee manager — gave us the lowdown on the new hemp infused java being served off of Platte Street.

The Goods

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The CBD cold brew ($6.50 for 12 ounces or $7.50 for 16 ounces) tests at a 30-milligram dosage per 12-ounce portion, and it is rumored to be the ultimate hangover cure, a solid study buddy or a jitter-free energy boost.

CBD is a non-psychoactive byproduct of hemp that has shown to ease pain. The chemical is largely unregulated — leaving Sträva and the folks at Carbon Coffee and Habit Donuts to operate in a legal “grey area” of regulation. The chemical compound CDB (cannabidiol) is a common occurrence in the recreational and medical marijuana market — but it has no federal or state regulation. There is no age limit for consumption of CBD — but the establishment has restricted consumption on premises to guests who are 18 and older. With counseling from the team at Sträva Craft Coffee — Cayden and the Carbon/Habit team have been advised that they are currently not breaking any legal parameters by allowing CBD consumption on-property. 

While the infusion takes place off-site — the beans are steeped and charged in-house and poured off of the tap in the cafe over ice — self-garnished with an eggshell-white generous head which brims to the top of the glass. The cold brew itself is a creamy, chocolate-nutty beverage that is bitter, smooth and easy to finish. The beans offer a rich and deep roast of flavors that are made even more approachable by the addition of a nitrous charge — typically utilized to soften harsh flavor. The buzz hits about halfway through the glass with a combination of uplifting, enlightening and energy focusing. Think of this as an Excedrin of morning beverages  — a clean and powerful caffeine boost —supplemented with a calm and focusing dose of CBD cannabinoids. 

In addition to the CBD cold brew, Habit Doughnuts and Carbon Coffee will release a nitro-charged Chai tea next week in collaboration with Teakoe — a Denver based company — to offer what will be one of Denver’s first nitrogen charged chai tea beverages available on tap. There are no definite plans to infuse CBD into anything else on the menu — but it is not unlikely we will see CBD infused donuts by Chef Andrea Martinez at some point in the future.

Habit Doughnut Dispensary is located at 1553 Platte Street, #130, Denver. It is open 7 a.m. — 10 p.m., seven days a week.

All photography by Samantha Bliss