Stephan Gott( center) is more than just the Brand Ambassador for VIBE, he was also the host with the most hot bangers served up at the dinner. For a decade he’ s brought many events to Missouri like the Swave KC Sneaker Expo, Show Me Seshes, and many more crossover license and legacy events.
cannabis-friendly business owners in Missouri( bars, restaurants, or entertainment event spaces) who would like to cater more to cannabis consumers, Kerns also felt she couldn’ t risk losing her liquor or business license over chasing her dream of cannabis-curated catering. control and seemingly safer to get home than all the events where she is pairing alcohol with food.“ Having been in the bar business for almost a decade, there is a significant difference at the end of the night after a fivecourse meal including alcohol vs. cannabis,” Kerns explained.“ When an event includes alcohol, guests are much more boisterous by the end of the meal. Whereas with the same five-course meal served with cannabis pairings, guests were so chill and happy. Not once did we feel our guests were unable to‘ handle’ their high.”
We both also agreed that we are still living in a backward time when cannabis consumption spaces are perceived as more dangerous than all the bar options available to us, and God forbid we are treated like adults and can safely consume both.
At the end of the day, I would venture to say that many, if not most, of Missouri’ s cannabis industry agents probably enjoy a joint and a cold adult beverage together with their dinner when they get home to take a load off after a long day of serving our cannabis community— while others may prefer just cannabis. Personally, I’ m in a place in life where I know if I“ Only” have the alcohol option when I go out, I would prefer just to stay home. I assume it’ s the same for those hundreds of thousands of Missouri cannabis employees if Missouri’ s business owners of our entertainment venues and bars continue to make us all feel like we are not welcome in their Alcohol establishments.
Rob Dunse with VIBE( on far right) talks to guests about the pairings of food and cannabis flavors featured on the custom menu for the Kush & Cook pairings dinner at Fuego Events & Cantina.
With the help of the licensed MO cannabis industry and its leaders like Rob Dunse, Director of Hydrocarbon for VIBE, Kerns finally gets to live out one of her true passions of pairing food and cannabis flavors. Taking the pairing conversation even further was my later discussion with Dunse, who, by the way, is a former chef as well. He said,“ The challenge and fun behind pairing cannabis and food is that you not only need to pair the flavors but also the effects of each strain to each course— you cannot only control how the dinner tastes but how the guests’ body and mind feel as the meal progresses.”
Kerns and I both jokingly agreed that the cannabis consumers attending this type of event are a friendlier crowd to handle and
Although Kerns and I both dream of a day where alcohol and cannabis consumption can coexist under the same roof and business address, our local municipalities that offer permits, licenses, rules, and regulations aren’ t ready to treat Missouri’ s cannabis consumers like the adults they are quite yet.“ We can’ t wait to see regulations change to provide some acceptance. Hopefully, that will happen with more understanding and time,” Kerns optimistically concluded.
Learn more about Fuego Events & Cantina’ s regular monthly entertainment schedule, which includes a variety of shows and dinners( burlesque brunches, Latin dance nights, drag shows, interactive dining experiences) and private events such as the Kush & Cook dinner pairings at www. fuegokc. com.
Clayton Stallings is the Director of Sales & Marketing for
The EVOLUTION Magazine
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