I feel like I should
be in a video.
We are the robots.
So last year marijuana
was legalized here in
Washington state and
the weed industry has
erupted in sales.
I'm headed south to
Longview Washington
where I'm going to visit
an indoor marijuana
facility.
I'm on my way to visit
Washingtonian Adam Sykes,
the first person to
receive a proper license
for edible pot products.
He's doing something
unexpected.
Instead of butter or
brownies,
he's created weed infused
carbonated beverages,
sodas that can
get you high.
Should be pretty fun.
Am I saying I smoke?
I am not.
You're not saying
you smoke?
I'm not saying I smoke.
It's almost being
treated like it's just
a basic ingredient, like
a pear, or an apple, or
a glass of water.
But there's a lot
of reasons why it's
come this far.
Yeah, I'll be
really curious to see
what he has to say.
You ready to see where
the magic happens here?
Yeah.
I'm pretty interested to
see what you
have going on.
So we'll have to
knock on the door.
Everything is, and this a
502 Washington, facility,
everything is
under camera, so.
Oh, totally understand.
I am going to need
you to sign in.
Okay.
There you go.
Alright.
So
this is the magic pass
that is going to take me
to
The magic pass
to a world of mystery.
Yes.
And then some.
All right.
Before showing me
the process of how he
actually makes his
weed and infused soda,
Adam wants to understand
the importance to
use the right marijuana
to use in his product.
Everybody focuses on THC,
right?
Right.
It's the main agent
that's responsible for
the psychoactive
effect of marijuana.
But some of the lesser
known cannabinoids
are CBN, so that's
kinda the couch-lock
effect where you don't
wanna go anywhere.
You don't wanna go for
a hike,
you kinda just wanna
check out your couch for
three or four hours.
What we look for
in addition to those
cannabinoids is we
also look for
terpene profiles.
Terpenes are,
it's the flavors.
It's the essences.
One of our drinks, our
pomegranate, we look for
hybrid strains so
this bubble bomb would
be perfect for that.
So what I'd be
looking for
here is it continues
to grow trichomes.
It's a little
crystal-equse
sort of things that
form on the plant.
It means it's getting
pretty close to harvest,
being mature.
And so to me that's like,
that's where
the magic is,
that's where
the cannabinoids THC.
When it really
comes down to it,
you guys
are science geeks,
more than anything.
I remember in
high school,
when you had weed,
you just had weed.
Now you've got strains.
You've got cannabinoids,
You've got flavonoids.
You've got terpenes.
And where more and more
research is coming out
all the time, especially
as legalization
continues, we can
start to do research,
and we can start to
understand how all these
components interplay.
Let's walk around and
check out some
of the others.
What else do you have?
What else do
you have here?
We have 29
different strains.
Enigma, Catatonic,
Pineapple express,
Melon Gum, Tangerine
Dream, Master Kush,
we've got Purple Urple.
So Keith, I'm looking for
something that's pretty
earthy, pretty strong,
can you show me something
that you've got?
Cuz we're looking at
formulating lemon ginger
next week and
kinda wanna see what's
on the ingredient list.
MTF, it's
a Matanuska Thunderfuck.
Okay.
Where do come up, okay,
we're not gonna
even go there.
That name, that name
alone is hilarious.
Let me smell that one.
Now that I've
had a chance to
check out Keith's
growing operation,
it's time to find out
how all this craziness
relates to Adam's soda.
What I'm looking at
right here is a menu
of cannabinoids and
I'm looking at
a menu of terpenes.
And based on
the composition of these,
I can pick and formulate
to a specific drink.
This is a hand trimmed
product because it
doesn't look
like it's been
ran through a lawn mower.
Okay, and
I've got a lot more
of these little buds,
packed full of
cannabinoids.
This is good trim.
This is the trim
that I want.
We see your whole
operation, and that was
really cool, man,
what you got going on.
And then we go into your
phase, and that's where I
wanna see your operation,
so let's do it.
Let's do it.
Let's go make some soda.
Let's do it.
What made you decide to
get into this business?
Did you just wake
up one morning and
did you just say,
you know what,
I'm just gonna
start making soda?
Or what was it?
I was sitting in Austin,
Texas with a group
of friends and
we were watching the
election results come in.
Right.
And we're like,
this is actually
gonna happen.
It's always on the new,
right?
Oh, marijuana's
on the ballot.
It almost never passes.
Right.
At least a couple years
ago that was the case.
We saw this like,
this thing's gonna pass.
And so it kind of
ties in with my own
political beliefs about
people being able to make
their own decisions and
do what they want.
And so the two
things came eye and
eye and had a couple of
friends in marketing and
branding, we started
kicking around some ideas
and this is what
we came up with.
And now you're out
here making soda.
Now we're making soda.
That's crazy, man.
So basically what we're
doing is we're converting
that raw marijuana and
we're ending up
with this extract.
Okay, so this is
concentrated extract.
Right here's a little
under three liters.
I can smell that.
Yeah, let me-
Holy smokes.
Let me show you kinda
what it looks like is,
smell that.
That's weird dude.
That's intense man.
Yeah.
So
basically what you have
here is enough liquid
marijuana to create about
17 to 18 hundred drinks.
This little amount and
so before that,
in actual weed, how much
is that approximately,
like that container?
This is probably
a little bit over
one pound of marijuana
created this extract.
Makes 1800 bottles, okay,
That's a big number.
Yeah, pretty
pretty potent.
So now we got that
concentrate, and
now we get to actually
make some soda.
We're gonna make
some soda, yeah.
Let's do it.
All right, that's cool.
All right, so
what's the first step?
Okay now what we're gonna
do is we're gonna get
some hot water boiling.
If you warm this up and
we're gonna also
pull some RO,
some reverse osmosis
water, filtered water out
of the system so we can
start boiling that and
getting that warmed up.
Now are you a one
man operation?
Typically when we are
doing this at capacity we
can do it with
three people.
We can cook a 500
gallon batch.
Wow 500 gallons gee
wiz that is crazy.
Why soda?
Why not you know,
brownies,
cupcakes or
cookies or something.
We wanted to do something
that was different and
better and unusual.
And one of the reasons
that we really like
beverage, case in point,
my mom came over for
Thanksgiving.
Am I gonna say, hey mom,
before turkey you wanna
go out on the porch and
smoke a joint?
She's probably
gonna say no.
But within the context
of a drink,
which everybody's
comfortable socializing
with a beverage
It's not unusual.
No it's not.
So I think a lot of the
stigma goes away because
we're all comfortable
enjoying a drink,
so I think we're able
to benefit with some of
that, even if it
isn't marijuana.
Right.
After getting a behind
the scenes look at Adam's
production process,
I can tell he's super
passionate about
what he's doing, and
I'm getting
really excited to
try some of his soda for
myself.
Alright Derek so
I knew you were coming so
we made a batch for
us to taste so
you get a feeling for
what the pop taste like.
I like how that sounds.
Okay we can only taste
it prior to adding
marijuana, once
there's marijuana,
based on state law we
can't consumer and
marijuana in
this facility.
Oh man That's really
good brother.
Yeah?
That's really good.
I wish it was 80 degrees
outside right now.
That's a nice balance
between all the fruits.
But just that
little tartness
from that pomegranate
is just right.
Yes, there's
nothing in here.
This is pure juice.
This is pure juice guys.
This is good, bro.
Yeah.
Drinking Adam's
professionally
weed-infused soda is only
one way Washingtonians
can enjoy getting high.
The final stop
on my journey is
bringing me high into
the sky to visit one of
Washington's most
recognizable landmarks.
So I've never been to
the mountains at all.
I've never been
to them at all.
And I'm going to
the highest elevated
restaurant in the state.
It's called
the Summit House and
it's on top of Crystal
Mountain ski resort.
I'm going there
to meet head chef
Zachary Reid to cook up
one of his mountaintop
inspired dishes.
I'm on a gondola, so
that's telling
me something.
We're going
somewhere way up.
High up, more than likely
this is gonna require
a helicopter for
food to be delivered.
We're up here in
the mountains.
It's cold.
So I'm guessing
you're being used for
a predominantly
warm hot menu.
Warm hot menu.
A lot of European comfort
food just taken to
the next level.
Like the crepes,
for instance.
Kind of just trying
to utilize all
the ingredients
the best we can.
We're up here on
the mountain.
The fresher
a product I can get,
the better it
is up here and
the better quality for
guest as well.
I wanna get down and
cook with you man.
Perfect, yeah I
think I got an extra
apron for you.
Let's start with our
root vegetables.
I like to keep
all our scraps,
we make our stock
with all our scraps.
Yep, one hundred percent
yield, love that.
You know I love
this time of year,
everything is hearty.
Yes, and
that's why I incorporate
a lot of the root veg and
hardy vegetables on to
my menu cause it lasts.
It's not gonna go
bad on you and
it can survive
the trip up here.
And it just, you know
the thing is, it just
definitely represents
the Northwest too.
Do you have days where,
like, oh, you know what?
You get a call and
be like,
hey, due to conditions
we can't deliver today.
If it's too windy,
though,
we can't even get
up here to work.
So the restaurant's
closed.
The restaurant's
just closed?
Yes.
And that just
means more fun.
That just means more fun.
You know, I gotta ask you
one question, though.
Yes?
Tell me about the handles
on the saute pan.
I've never seen
nobody do that.
Why you do that?
We cover the burgers
with these.
A lot of people they like
to smash
the burgers down.
Smashing does not make
the burgers faster,
it just squeezes
the juice out of them.
This way we can
get the burger,
we can cook it fast and
still keep the juice in.
Not dry.
And keep it moist.
I'm sorry,
I'm taking that idea.
It's all yours.
What else you gonna
surprise me with?
A venison crepe.
We've got elk tenderloin
medallions that I cut up,
a little Rainier
cherry demi glace.
And we're gonna finish
that off with a frisee
salad with a little bit
of giant cranberries,
goat cheese,
pumpkin seeds and
a citrus truffle
vinaigrette on that.
That is called the real
deal man' s meal,
I'm ready to eat.
Chef thank you
very much for
taking your out
doing this.
Looks really good
Thank you
I'm looking
forward to it.
What should we try first?
Perfect, why don't we
dig into the crepe?
You cut the crepe, and
I'll I'll get
some of this.
Perfect.
This tenderloin.
All right.
I'm going in.
That five spice and
cherry goes so
well together.
A little kick,
sweetness, tartness.
I need elk in my life.
People are scared of it,
they think
it's too gamey,
it's just a really rich
flavorful piece of meat.
It's gamey, but
that sauce and
that spice that's
in that sauce,
the gaminess is cut out,
you know?
This is like
rubbing belly food.
When you're out there,
it's freezing cold,
you want something heavy,
warm.
I think this really
does the trick.
How much time do you get
to go out on the slopes?
Everyday.
Do you really?
You hit the slopes
everyday?
The lifts usually close
before we get outta here,
so it's one of
the requirements to
working up here.
You have to be a, kind
of, advanced skier or
snowboarder.
It is required
to be a skier or
a snowboarder to work
at this restaurant.
Bro, can I get a toast
on chef life in
the mountains?
Yes.
Yes, man.
Oh, man.
I was hoping to come
all the way out here
to see Mount Rainier.
Now, Mount Rainier would
be somewhere, somewhere
in this area.
But Mother Nature just
decided just to give
me a tease.
And that's where it ends
guys, my journey across
Washington has come to
a close here on a cloudy
ridge with Mount Rainier
hiding just out of sight.
Which is actually kind of
fitting, because there is
more to this state
than meets the eye.
>From the Puget Sound
to the Cascades,
the bounty of Washington
State is unparalleled.
It has produced
a culinary culture that
focuses on what grows
in our backyards and
swims in the waters
just off shore.
And delivers it to the
plate with minimal fuss
but flavors so huge,
they'll blow your mind.
This state is like that.
It is both honest and
surprising.
Simple and bold.
Close knit and diverse.
And it's food
reflects that.
Here classics are
celebrated while foreign
ingredients are embraced
as our own.
Award winning chefs and
home cooks can both craft
incredible meals straight
out of their backyards.
Creativity and adventure
are second nature.
Coffee will always
run in our veins and
the salmon is just as
good battered and fried
as it is freshly smoked
over an elder wood fire.
Here in Washington,
food bridges the gap
that divide us, and
that's what really
matters in the end.
Yeah.
Forget that high five
shit, we can hug.
Yeah!
Did you hear what
she just said?
She said, forget
that high five shit.
That's what's up.
