Uniquely Swiss - Cannabis Ice Tea

As a Swiss-by-marriage, there are certain expectations that I have when I visit from Paris. I expect the sidewalks of Montreux to be blissfully free of dog poop and other debris, the cars to come to a screeching halt whenever I'm ready to cross the street and everything to work like a finely crafted Swiss watch.

I don't expect to see cans of C-ICE, Swiss Cannabis Ice Tea, left on a window ledge,

or the cross from the Swiss flag actively engaged in Kamasutra contortions. 

The next thing you know, Swiss people will be cracking jokes, staying out past 10:00 pm on weeknights and wearing flamboyant clothes.

Intrigued by the new-to-me cannabis ice tea, I visited the website for C-Swiss and learned that the beverage "for people with high expectations" was launched in Switzerland in 1999. Sold in a prize-winning can made out of laminated cardboard, the packaging is eco-friendly and contains ice tea made from clear spring water, the finest black tea, lemon juice and hemp. Widely available in European countries since 2005, the first container ship carrying C-Swiss arrived at the port of Miami in 2011.

Wondering if the Montreux Palace stocks C-ICE in the mini-bar, I opened the door and discovered that it's full of other Swiss products, like Henniez mineral water, Ramseier apple juice, Swiss wine from Yvorne and Purelosophy's DETOX formula made of aloe vera, whole grapes, artichoke, dandelion, fennel, nettle, lime and acerola.

If I'm hungry, I can snack on Swiss products, like Zweifel potato chips, Toblerone and Cailler chocolate and Ricola herbal candy, while sipping Nespresso.

In keeping with the Swiss theme, there's even a miniature cow bell note to place on your bed to indicate that you would like to help protect the environment by not having the linens changed every day.

What does it look like outside my hotel room? Cloudy, grey and beautiful. Walking along the lakeside promenade is one of my favorite past times in Montreux.