On Feb. 8, Café Hitchcock in Seattle began offering a new menu of “wellness lattés.” Some of the new menu beverages include:
- A turmeric latté, which has anti-inflammatory and mood-enhancing properties
- A collagen latté, which is good for hair, skin, and the digestive system
- The “After Party,” which boasts activated charcoal among its ingredients to cleanse toxins and relieve bloating
- “Majik Milk,” which promotes brain health and is rich in vitamin B-12
- The “Dirty Hippy,” made of espresso, rishi chai, chaga root, and steamed milk and promotes awareness while reducing what they call brain fogginess
Of all of the new menu items, one of the most exciting offerings is the “Seattle Fog,” which is made up of organic Earl Grey tea, vanilla, steamed milk and locally grown CBD oil. Clearly, the concept of a refreshing beverage is taking on a whole new meaning.
Brendan McGill, chef and owner of the café, believes that these new items represent a community’s commitment to health and well-being. He knows that the residents of Seattle have an overall positive outlook on general health issues and feels confident that these beverages can act as catalysts for self-awareness.
McGill is not a newcomer to the health and wellness industry. In fact, he opened a juice bar in Bainbridge called Verjus which makes and sells cold-pressed juices. While he is familiar with a more holistic approach to health and wellness by harnessing the power of plants, using CBD as a supplement was never really on his radar.
When asked how he came up with the idea for these new drinks, McGill recounted a personal story. Just before boarding a plane from Los Angeles to Seattle, he stopped at an organic market and purchased a bottle of lemonade that contained 20 mg of CBD. He drank the whole bottle before boarding and spent the rest of the flight completely relaxed.
“It just has this really chill effect on your body,” McGill said. Soon after, he decided to create a new beverage menu that contained a variety of delicious and holistic offerings, including a CBD tea. While the lemonade McGill drank contained 20 mg of CBD, the Seattle Fog contains 5 mg, a very mild adult dose of CBD, as most products contain at least 10 mg.
CBD is one of over 100 compounds found in cannabis known as cannabinoids. Because it is non-psychoactive, it does not cause a high like THC, making it a perfect choice for those who choose to experience the benefits of cannabis without any mind-altering effects.
Hemp is in high demand right now in certain parts of the country. Luckily enough, McGill has a friend who moved from Bainbridge to Oregon to grow organic hemp and to extract the CBD from the plants. He then sells it to McGill who uses it in his delicious, nutritious beverages.
Why is Café Hitchcock adding these new beverage items to their menu?
McGill wants people to update their daily routines and habits. Rather than eating processed items such as sugar and various starches, he feels that the community at large can benefit much more greatly from consciously changing their definitions of what is healthy while enjoying something delicious at the same time.
