When the Red King said that all persons more than a mile high had to leave the court, cannabis was the furthest thing from his mind.
While Alice had indeed grown very tall, she was far from a mile high, both literally and figuratively.
But being a mile high is precisely how one should expect to be where the white rabbit is concerned.
The White Rabbit High Tea, that is.
All persons more than a mile high are quite welcome in this court.
Going Down the Rabbit Hole
I recently received an invitation to attend the latest White Rabbit High Tea, a Wonderland-inspired event that infuses cannabis into its core and the variety of treats offered within.
The nomadic White Rabbit High Tea event has landed in a variety of locations during its approximately five years of existence, the most recent being a beautiful white-trimmed blue house in Venice with an elegant and neatly manicured yard.
The theme for the afternoon event was Midsummer’s Garden Fantasy, and attendees were encouraged to dress to impress or wear their Sunday best.
I arrived at the tea in the mid-afternoon, just as guests were starting to show up.
As guests checked in at the table out front and trickled in through the gate, they stepped into the back yard where they were greeted with ornate treat-lined tables, a reed-lined koi pond, a gazebo, a large fruiting fig tree, and a croquet game on the lawn.
Amid the elegant place settings, each table bore a variety of cannabis products, as well as non-medicated almond cake bites and fudgy brownie bites from Laurie + MaryJane on triple-tiered cake stand serving trays.
The floral arrangements on each table were provided by FLWR PSTL founder Kristen Alpaugh.
Also on display in the backyard were paintings by Ashland, Oregon artist Pamela Ourshalimian.
A calm and friendly German Shepherd named Daisy sported an elegant blue bow around her neck as she mingled with guests throughout the afternoon event, often carrying her beloved green tennis ball with her.
Guests casually strolled the grounds, sipped infused beverages, and chatted with hostesses and other attendees in anticipation of the start of the tea.
When 4:20 finally arrived, guests took their places at the elegantly set tables, each neatly adorned with cannabis flowers, decorative ceramic pipes, and a variety of tempting edible and topical cannabis products.
It’s High Tea Time
As the tea began, guests were presented with Summer Berry Palmers (recipe below), while White Rabbit High Tea Director of Partnerships Eve Maltzman welcomed everyone.
Eve introduced the afternoon’s special guests which included author Jamie Evans and Good Stuff Beverage Co. CMO Alicia Brockwell.
After Jaime and Alicia spoke, the servers began bringing out the afternoon’s assortment of delicious tea sandwiches and scones.
While there were plenty of cannabis-infused edibles and beverages at the tea, the sandwiches, scones, and desserts were all THC-free.
The crust-less tea sandwiches, served on white and wheat bread, included albacore tuna salad, cucumber with Boursin cheese, egg mayonnaise with watercress, and roast ham with cheddar cheese and a creamy mustard spread.
The scones were served with organic strawberry preserves and Devonshire cream.
Along with the sandwiches and scones, servers offered hot black, green, and caffeine-free passion herbal teas to guests.
When everyone had eaten their fill of tea sandwiches and scones, servers brought out an elegant and tempting dessert selection of Meyer lemon bar squares, truffle brownie bites, fresh berries, and assorted French macarons.
Each item I sampled was quite flavorful, pleasing to the eye, and perfectly selected for the White Rabbit High Tea.
I tried each of the sandwiches, the scones with preserves, and the macarons, all of which I enjoyed immensely.
Had I not felt so full, I would have sampled more desserts, which looked exquisite, sweet, and very delicious.
After dessert, guests strolled the grounds, mingled, and played more games of croquet as Emerson G Magaña serenaded them with beautiful notes from his classical guitar.
I spoke briefly with Alicia Brockwell from cannabis drink maker Good Stuff Beverage Co.
Alicia was offering guests alcohol-free, THC-free margaritas made with Good Stuff’s tasty new Key Limeade flavor.
I mentioned that I was a fan of the Strawberry Hibiscus Lemonade flavor, which I noted mixes very well with an ice-cold Dr. Pepper.
Everyone Left Holding the Gift Bag
As the White Rabbit High Tea started to wind down and guests began making their way to their cars and Uber rides, each person received a rose gold gift bag filled with an assortment of cannabis treats from the day’s sponsors.
The bags included cans of Gem + Jane infused sparkling beverages, bottles of Good Stuff beverages, F.A. Nino’s hot sauce, Green Bee Botanicals facial renewing serum, Hello Again vaginal suppositories, Kaneh Co. mint crème truffle bars, Laurie + MaryJane almond cake bites, Platinum Vape gummy coins, Shoogies THC-infused baking sugar, and The Pairist pre-rolls.
The bags also included a few pins and copies of Cannabis Drinks and The Ultimate Guide to CBD by Jamie Evans.
If the thought of dressing up and attending an afternoon tea filled with delicious food, drinks, music, and a thoughtful selection of cannabis edibles and flowers sounds appealing, I can easily recommend the White Rabbit High Tea.
If you are anxious to attend a White Rabbit High Tea, you won’t have to wait very long as the next one is scheduled to take place in November.
Summer Berry Palmer recipe (4mg THC)
Ingredients:
2 capfuls (4 tsp) of Good Stuff Beverage Co. cannabis-infused Raspberry Lemonade
4-5 fresh raspberries
4-5 fresh blackberries
4 oz unsweetened raspberry tea
Ice
Equipment:
Shaker tin
Muddler
Fine-mesh strainer
Highball glass
Bar spoon
Instructions:
Add the raspberries and blackberries to a shaker tin
Muddle the fruit together until the juices release
Add the chilled raspberry tea and Good Stuff Beverage Co. Raspberry Lemonade
Cover and dry shake (no ice) vigorously for ten seconds
Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a highball glass filled with ice
Top with lemonade
Stir together using a bar spoon
Add fresh berries, lemon wheel, & thyme sprig to garnish
