William Stewart / Product Design Consultant, Half Baked Labs, Portland, Oregon

The legendary 420 Hippie Hill festival in San Francisco may have been canceled for the second consecutive year but April 20 is still the day cannabis enthusiasts nationwide celebrate. CBD-infused edibles have remained popular in the pandemic since people need to chill out more than ever and edibles feel safer than sharing a joint. Edibles also introduce a range of flavoring options, as the growing market for gummies, chocolates, baked goods and beverages proves.

Bill Stewart, product design consultant at Half Baked Labs, creates all of the above for clients in Portland, Oregon. Bill’s approach to creating CBD-infused edibles is to enhance cannabis with complementary flavors rather than mask its inherently bitter notes. Pepper, citrus and pungent spices like ginger are other complements to the natural herbal notes of cannabis.

“A lot of products, especially sweets, put a lot of effort into eliminating the flavor and aroma of cannabis,” he says. “If you’re not afraid to experiment with foods that aren’t a natural ‘match,’ like fruit, you can produce some extraordinary flavors and aromas.”

Bill discovered The Perfect Purée through its long-established application in cocktails via a bartender friend turned canna chef. He uses The Perfect Purée Blackberry Puree, Red Raspberry Puree, White Peach Puree and Pomegranate Concentrate, among other flavors, in his paté de fruit (fruit and pectin gummies).

He says bright fruit flavors pair well with the bitter profile of cannabis and The Perfect Purée’s product line is reliably flavorful, aromatic, consistent and convenient.

“The purées are extremely cooperative in making gummies, especially pectin-based recipes. It’s like fresh fruit without the hassle,” Bill says, noting one of the great things about pectin gummies is they won’t melt in your pocket or on the dashboard of your car.

Bill signs off emails with the motto “excelsior,” a Latin word meaning “ever upward!” that fits his zeal for all things CBD including beverages, which are increasingly used as alternatives to alcohol without undesirable side effects like anxiety and sleeplessness. Right after 420 is Cinco de Mayo, when he makes his signature CBD Margarita with The Perfect Purée Key Lime Concentrate.

“You can use any of the other concentrates or purées, and the blends are fantastic options — especially El Corazon blend, Yuzu Luxe Sour blend or Chipotle Sour blend,” he says. “People are going to think you’re a cocktail genius. Let them.”

Bill also makes an aperitivo for one of his clients using Mandarin/Tangerine and Pomegranate concentrates.

Half Baked Labs was originally developed as a hobby to help family and friends meet their medical needs but with the advent of marijuana legalization, it became Bill’s passion and his primary concentration in 2014. He now designs custom products for clients and partners and teaches classes on creating edibles and topicals at home. The model is a good combination of his degree in chemical engineering from Clemson University and his lifelong love of cooking, baking, brewing and pickling.

“I already had the canna chemistry down, so it was a natural option,” he says.

In an article on flavor strategies for cannabis food and beverages in the magazine Cannabis Products last year, Bill said alcohol-free beverages and bitters and mixers for cocktails are trending. Characteristic cannabis flavors work well as “base” notes in items that are naturally bitter such as beer, bitters, and chocolate.

In savory foods, the cannabis/hemp flavor and aroma can be treated as just another herbal note.

“It brings a lovely grassy, floral, herbaceous flavor to the mix. One of my favorite CBD savories is infused pimento cheese,” Bill says.