A 2-Michelin-star restaurant teams up with a cannabic farm to create a unique variety

Presented as a «one-of-a-kind» collaboration between a gourmet restaurant and a cannabis grower, the restaurant Lazy Bear, a two-star Michelin restaurant located in San Francisco, has teamed up with the Sonoma Hills Farm to launch a sativa variety made to measure Lazy Bear Reserve.

«We're not saying you have to smoke before coming to dinner at Lazy Bear,» clarifies chef and co-founder David Barzelay, But for those who wish to enhance an evening with friends, the restaurant offers something akin to a wine selected by a sommelier, except that it is sun-grown cannabis.

Three years of «phenotype hunting» to find the perfect combination

The journey to Lazy Bear Reserve took three years to identify a strain that could match the essence of Northern California's natural terroir. Known in the cannabis world as « pheno-hunt »This process involved growing and testing thousands of varieties in order to find the perfect one, not only in terms of potency or effects, but also in terms of aromatic complexity and culinary compatibility.

Barzelay and its business partner Colleen Booth were looking for a cannabis strain that would echo the ingredients frequently used in Lazy Bear's seasonal tasting menus.

«They wanted a flower that expressed the essence of Northern California and complemented the ingredients often found on Lazy Bear's tasting menu,» reports The Standard.

After sifting through the vast catalog of seeds from Sonoma Hills Farm without finding what they were looking for, the team called in Humboldt Seed Company, a renowned breeder based in the Emerald Triangle, to develop a new variety.

The result is Lazy Bear Reserve, a sativa with aromas of California wild bay, redwood and Douglas fir, with flavour notes reminiscent of Meyer lemon and woodland citrus.

Cannabis as a «social tonic», not a gadget

What makes Lazy Bear Reserve particularly innovative is its positioning. Rather than being marketed as a prelude to a meal or as a late-night treat, this variety is described as a « social tonic »a term that reflects its role as a refined and cheerful accompaniment to dinners and intimate meetings.

The emphasis on sativa profile, known for its energizing and stimulating effects, fits into this concept. The smoke is described as mild, with subtle wood and citrus notes which gradually give way to a feeling of relaxation throughout the body. Booth rightly compares it to seasoning in a dish: «The right strain of cannabis is like salt on your plate. It enhances the taste.»

Sustainable agriculture for a product worthy of a Michelin restaurant

Lazy Bear's demand for integrity doesn't stop at the sensory experience. The team chose Sonoma Hills Farm not only for its expertise, but also for its regenerative and organic practices. Located in the Petaluma Gap, located about 50 km north of San Francisco, the farm grows its cannabis outdoors in a living soil, and irrigates it with spring water from the Stemple Creek watershed, a rarity in the modern cannabis industry.

«This is a farm that treats its cannabis like our favorite farms treat the other ingredients we use at Lazy Bear,» Mr. Barzelay told the newspaper The Standard. «We wouldn't have done this with anyone else.»

Although Lazy Bear is not an approved dispensary, Lazy Bear Reserve is now available as a flowers and pre-rolls at certain cannabis retailers in the San Francisco Bay Area, particularly at San Pancho Cannabis Club, ideally located just opposite the restaurant. The product attracts cannabis connoisseurs and lovers of refined cuisine, We're all curious to find out what a gastronomic approach to cannabis might look like - and taste like.