A side of calm with your morning cup of joe.
The stress-relieving properties of cannabidiol (CBD) and a caffeinated energy boost propose an interesting push-and-pull dynamic. A high-low juxtaposition that — if the growing number of cafés offering CBD coffees are any indication — just works. As conventional misunderstandings about CBD make way for educated, informed perceptions, the only way forward for the trendy CBD industry in Hong Kong — which now encompasses F&B, beauty and even pet supplies — is up, up, up.
If you’re a keen caféphile with a perfected at-home routine developed and tested in repetition to suit your discerning palate, skip the middlemen and head straight to the source with your own stash of CBD oils; try OTO CBD and Cubed CBD HK. The following list of CBD coffees, however, is for those among us who wants to sit, sip and savour.
Sofe Coffee
‘Quality over quantity’ is an age-old adage Sofe Coffee fully and demonstrably lives by, which is why there’s only one thing on the menu: cold-brew coffee. Drops of CBD oil — like milk or sugar or stevia or cinnamon — are nice bonuses; a cherry on top of an already fantastic caffeinated journey. Sofe Coffee’s distinctive packaging — capped glass bottle; minimalistic, effective branding — makes for a beautiful reusable keepsake, too.
Sofe Coffee is conveniently stocked at various kiosks around the city, including Brew and Crew, Shop A, Koon Nam House, 12-14 Shing Wong Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong; Kiosk LAB108B, B1, K11 MUSEA, 18 Salisbury Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Drip39
Seated in the thick of the action on Staunton Street, Drip39 is one of the city’s newest cafés centred around CBD-centric lifestyles. Differentiated not only by luxe gold-hammered interiors but also by a distinct inclination towards Asian aesthetics — see: calligraphy on bottle branding; a menu that harks back to vintage cha chaan teng signage — Drip39 stands, almost, as a symbol of the changing of the guards. Of deep, historic misunderstandings about CBD, corrected through exposure and education. Beyond CBD-infused coffees, teas and gummies, Drip39 produces its own proprietary line of vape cartridges, tinctures and soft-gel capsules, too.
Drip39, 39 Staunton Street, Central, Hong Kong, +852 9656 2563
Elixir
Any person with even a smidgeon of attachment to coffee will understand Elixir’s motto: ‘Cure Everything’. Conceptualised as a cure-all to modern city ailments, the café operates as a place of quiet. To pause, reflect and, while you’re at it, sip away at a beautifully brewed mugful of latte. Or, a strong Americano, if that’s your pick of poison. CBD drops courtesy of Cubed CBD HK are available for every Elixir beverage; another testament to the café’s cure-all approach.
Elixir, 9 Mee Lun Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, +852 6083 0915
Found
We paid Found a visit when it opened its doors earlier last year as the first retail-café concept dedicated to CBD products — be it coffees and oils to capsule supplements — in Hong Kong. Tucked alongside a sleepy Tai On Terrace in Sheung Wan, Found’s hideaway location adds to its products’ effect; a calm, quiet respite to the hustle and bustle mere streets away. All coffees including lattes (HK$50) and flat whites (HK$50) are infused with 30mg of LIFE™ CBD — a line of CBD oils backed by Altum International, which also have hands in managing Found. A touch nippy? The café’s CBD-infused energy balls (HK$45), also infused with LIFE™ CBD, are a protein-packed treat.
Found, Unit A, G/F, 8 Tai On Terrace, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, +852 5288 2281
Elephant Grounds
As with all things good and grand, we can’t help but notice the slow-and-steady takeover of Elephant Grounds outposts — from Mid-Levels to Fashion Walk to K11 MUSEA — across a plethora of districts in Hong Kong. Excellent news to our ears, as we’re always keen for easier access to the café’s mouth-watering ice-cream sandwiches and CBD-infused coffees, with drops courtesy of LIFE™ CBD.
Elephant Grounds has various locations in Hong Kong, including G/F, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, +852 3580 0554
Winstons Coffee
Rather than garnish a made-to-order cup of coffee with trickles of CBD drops after the fact, Winstons Coffee developed a foolproof recipe: infusing OTO CBD’s non-alcoholic cocktail bitters — containing 2,500mg of CBD, alongside an in-house spice blend of bitter orange, bergamot, lemongrass, liquorice, cinnamon, cacao and cardamom — into its signature cold-brew base.
Winstons Coffee currently has two locations in Hong Kong. Shop 8, The Hudson, 11 Davis Street, Kennedy Town, Hong Kong, +852 2697 1878; Shop 4, 213 Queens Road West, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong +852 2559 5078
WILD12
A touch different from the rest in this round-up, WILD12’s ‘Being’ coffee — available in both coffee beans (HK$150) and drip bags (HK$150) — change up the process. Instead of using CBD drops as a finishing grace note, CBD is directly infused into the source itself: the coffee beans.
Shop WILD12 here.
Matchali
An honorary mention, considering Matchali’s menu boasts a distinct lack of coffee. However, a CBD infusion paired alongside matcha’s own soothing qualities? A double whammy of calm. Matchali’s ifc brick-and-mortar is a limited-time affair; be sure to get your CBD-enriched matcha fix before the pop-up ends in September 2021.
Matchali, Shop LA2, Podium Level 1, ifc mall, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong, +852 9880 7661
(Header and featured images courtesy of LIFE™ CBD)
Joey Wong
Editor
Retired Tumblr girl Joey has written her way through fashion trends, youth culture and luxury retail in New York and Hong Kong. Beyond internet adventures tracking down the perfect vintage find, you can probably catch her tufting rugs, swigging back Bloody Marys — her third, probably — and making fastidious spreadsheets about her Animal Crossing island.
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