Á La Carte

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]T[/dropcap]he change of each season is so profound and distinctive, it deserves a celebration. Kendal Norris of Mason Jar Event Group has mastered the celebration of each season through her cannabis paired dinners, which are available by invitation-only.

What gave Norris the brilliant idea to pair food and cannabis? “I went to sleep one night back in early 2015 and had a dream that I created a company,” she said. “The name was clear, Mason Jar Event Group. In this dream I was creating beautiful events that incorporated cannabis like wine, and thus the pairing concept was born.”

Mason Jar Event Group may have started as a dream, but going to these dinners is nothing short of a dream come true. It is so special to go to an event with other cannabis consumers and to consume cannabis based on the course at the table. Norris pays special attention to each and every detail. From the location to the silverware to the choices of cannabis, nothing is left untouched—except the tickets. These dinners are often sold out. When CULTURE first heard about the lavish dinners, we had to be put on a waiting list and didn’t get an invitation until the next season. A quick glance at information on the autumn 2018 dinner will show that it is already sold out. In short, you’ll need to move quickly and plan ahead if you’d like to attend one of these exclusive events.

It isn’t that there’s a shortage of cannabis-themed dinners in legal states. It is simply that not many come close to what Mason Jar Event Group arranges four times a year. When asked which dinner was her favorite, Norris replied, “They just keep getting better, but I am partial to our summer and fall events, because we can be outside. I like to get people to places they wouldn’t normally go or have the opportunity to visit without a reservation at one of our events.” We would have to agree. When we attended the Hemp and Seed dinner last autumn, it was held right next to a fully blooming hemp field.

 “In this dream I was creating beautiful events that incorporated cannabis like wine, and thus the pairing concept was born.”

Guests arrived either on their own or in the transportation provided by Mason Jar Event Group. Before arriving, each guest picked up their cannabis pairings at the local dispensary and brought them to the dinner.

A live band played softly while the attendees trickled into the hand-picked location. Drinks were available, and people mulled around sipping their infused drinks and scoping the jaw-dropping scene. Each placement was set with the same amount of care and offered more information to the guests of the elegant affair. Gifts were set in each place; a glass one-hitter and a hemp plant from the farm. We watched the sunset as the dinner began.

Every dinner includes four to six courses and is always beautifully plated and absolutely tantalizing to the palate. Fresh ingredients are used, and the chef on duty is always exceptional. Servers brought out each course, and guests used their menu to add the cannabis in the suggested way. The cannabis pairings ranged from distillates to joints to edibles (usually for dessert). Waiters danced around, filled glasses, cleared plates and brought more infusions as we settled into our highs.

Companies like BDS Analytics and Organa Brands help make the dinners possible. Each take their turn speaking throughout the evening, sharing new information and products to the glowing crowd as they dine.

After dinner is complete, the crowd mingled for a while, and the perfect mix of music and conversation concluded the night. The guest list is filled with great conversation holders too.

Each season is unique. Spring is full of freshly sprouting vegetation and baby animals. Summer offers campfire songs and sleeping in on quiet vacation mornings. Fall is all about color. The leaves on the trees dance to the ground and the air begins to switch. Winter brings snow and the thought of snuggling into warm blankets. Mason Jar Event Group brings all of the great offerings of each season to dinner—and it doesn’t short on the cannabis.

www.masonjareventgroup.com