Also known as Phantom, Pink Champagne was created by California-based Ken Estes, the breeder responsible for engineering award winning strains like Bay 11. The indica-dominant Pink Champagne is a cross between Estes’ own pioneering medical grade Grandaddy Purple and the tasty Cherry Pie. It’s a powerful and pungent option for kicking back as the day winds down. Pink Champagne’s psychoactivity has been measured at between 13% and 23% THC.

Pink Champagne’s flowers are on the smaller side, clinging together in dense, popcorn-like formations. The buds have a classically indica appearance, with leaves tightly packed around the central stems. Leaves are a bright spring green and have a profusion of curly orange hairs -- which are actually pistils, intended to catch pollen from flowering male plants. Many phenotypes of this strain also exhibit bold streaks of purple. This is likely the influence of Grandaddy Purple (which appears on both sides of Pink Champagne’s lineage) imparting high concentrations of anthocyanin pigments which turn leaves purple when stimulated by cold temperatures in the growing process Amber-colored trichomes coat the already colorful flowers and give the leaves a slightly yellow hue; they also make this strain very stick to the touch.

On first inspection, these colorful flowers have all the berry pungency of both parent strains. Sweet blueberry, cherry, and grape aromas mingle with a skunky tang. This pervasive skunkiness is intensified when buds are ground up or broken open. When combusted, Pink Champagne gives off a refreshingly smooth smoke. On the exhale, it has a subtly fruity taste with an underlying yeasty, malty flavor. This strain can also be very pungent when burnt, so smokers looking to keep their consumption discreet should take any necessary precautions.

Pink Champagne takes hold quickly for an indica, beginning as a discernible pressure in the smoker’s face and temples. This gentle throb soon spreads down the neck and outward through the core, resulting a warm wave of relaxation. Smokers may find themselves disoriented by the blunt force of this strain’s sedation. Conversations and logical progressions of thought may prove difficult to follow. Rather than an exacting, cerebral mindset, users can expect a more lazy, dreamy high, perfectly suited to daydreaming and listening to music, but not the best choice for accomplishing detail-oriented work. As the high progresses, couch-lock is likely to set in. This lazy vibe means that although Pink Champagne may not give you the energy to rage and party, it can be just the thing for a night of low-key socializing with close friends. Because of its relaxing properties, Pink Champagne is more appropriate for nighttime than morning or daytime use.

Given Ken Estes’ reputation for developing effective medical cannabis, it should come as no surprise that Pink Champagne also has physical and psychological benefits for many patients. Its thoroughgoing sedation can soothe all kinds of aches and pains. Anti-inflammatory properties can be good for anything from a mild headache to a more serious migraine. Pink Champagne may even stoke hunger for those whose appetites have been compromised by disease or medication. Those with stress, anxiety, and PTSD may find temporary relief from their symptoms with this strain’s knockout effects. Finally, in large enough doses, Pink Champagne can be a great way to treat insomnia.

Neither Estes nor any other commercial breeder has made seeds of this strain available for sale online. However, one way to grow Pink Cookies is to obtain clippings from a trusted breeder in order to grow genetically identical clones. Although there is limited information available on ideal cultivation practices, we do know that, like many other hybrids, Pink Cookies can be grown indoors or out, although outdoor growing requires a semi-humid climate with daytime temperatures in the 70 degree Fahrenheit range. Additionally, those looking to bring out the strain’s full purple potential should expose the plants to cold (but not freezing) temperatures just before flowering begins.

Following in Grandaddy Purple’s tradition, Pink Champagne is a great example of how taste and bag appeal don’t have the come at the expense of potency in cannabis breeding. You may be tempted to keep this dynamite strain all to yourself … but if you do bring it out in social situations, make sure you have enough to share with everyone.