6 THC beverages aimed at consumers who want to cut back on alcohol

Alcohol is great fun and an excellent social lubricant–until it’s not. There are countless reasons a person may opt to reach for a non-alcoholic beverage, from getting their life back on track to just wanting to feel good when they hit the gym in the morning. Some cannabis brands have narrowed in on this audience, developing products that provide all the good stuff about alcohol: elevated mood, increased social abilities, and relaxation, without all the negative effects, which can range from a mild headache to a dangerous bender. 

Today we’re highlighting some of the brands that are effectively targeting these consumers and hitting all the marks–from distinct flavors and effects to relevant branding. 

MXXN

Making (and drinking) flavorful cocktails is a hard thing to give up when you’ve grown accustomed to the unique flavor profiles and relaxing effects. MXXN can relate. Pronounced ‘moon,’ this company has nailed the art of infusing cannabis into the typical cocktail culture, with 1:1 replacements for classic spirits. 

Their products speak to the consumer who appreciates the finer things in their alcohol – unique flavor profiles, pleasant aromas, and of course, a relaxing effect. Take their Jalisco Agave mixer for example. With notes of sweet agave, oak and vanilla, and hints of flint and salt, even the craftiest cocktail connoisseur can get on board with a squeeze of lime and a splash of soda water. The products stand out with a sleek, sophisticated look for their black bottles, which they juxtapose with bold, bright colors on their website and Instagram. 

Artet 

Makers of botanical aperitifs, Artet has found its niche within the cannabis community. They’ve made it easy for cocktail makers and lovers of eclectic flavors to transition from alcohol-based activities to a THC option.

Their aperitifs include a sweet, piney batch made with live resin and an aromatic blend of cannabis and eight different botanicals, including cardamom, ginger, and juniper. Artet doesn’t just cater to the aperitif aficionados, though. They also offer canned mixed drinks and sparkling beverages aimed at the consumer who just wants to pop a can and get sippin’. Inspired by Italy and branded with simple sleek bottles, the company adds an artistic twist with painted images on each bottle and paintings across their Instagram page. 

Lagunitas Hi-Fi Sessions 

There’s a time and a place for specialty cocktails, and it’s not always, say, at the beach or at a sweaty house party. Those occasions call for an ice-cold beer, and Lagunitas is on the job. 

By partnering with California-based absoluteXtracts, Lagunitas has pulled off bubbly mixes of cannabis and hops, providing consumers with an easy way to get that crisp, refreshing feeling of cracking open a cold one with the boys, without the alcohol. They offer three beverages at various ratios: a 2 mg CBD and <2 mg THC blend, a 10 mg THC option, and a 1:1 5 mg CBD and THC blend. 

The partnership between absoluteXtracts and Lagunitas Hi-Fi Sessions exists to satisfy the craving for a refreshing bubbly beverage that delivers quick, desired effects. By use of water-soluble THC, consumers can expect to feel their bubbly beverage kick in as quickly as 10 minutes after consumption. We’ll cheers to that! 

CERIA 

With a Belgian-style white ale and an IPA, CERIA has figured out how to appeal to hopheads by infusing classic favorites with a THC twist. Their white ale combines blood orange peel and coriander with THC, and their IPA combines caramel malts with Citra, Amarillo, and Cascade hops. The result? Cannabis “beers” that are strikingly close to the real deal. 

CERIA is not the first brew venture for Colorado-based founders Keith and Jodi Villa. In fact, Keith Villa is the brewmaster behind Blue Moon (yes, that Blue Moon beer). To infuse their current selection of alcohol-free beer, CERIA works with Keef, leaders in the cannabis beverage space. Naturally, we have a lot of faith in this cannabis-infused alternative. 

Herbacée 

And then there’s wine time. What’s not to love about popping open a bottle to accompany you in the bath after a long day, or a complementary glass shared among friends at the dinner table? Well, there’s the wine hangover, which can turn a warm, fuzzy night of comfort and bliss into a morning of hell and regret. 

Jamie Evans took the desire for wine without the alcohol into her own hands by launching Herbacée. After over a decade in traditional wine-making, Evans crafted a Sparkling Rosier and Sparkling Blanchette, available in a bottle or in cans. Each contains 5 mg of THC and 5 mg of CBD, a safe bet for drinkers of various tolerance levels.

Evans wants consumers to pair her dealcoholized, cannabis-infused wine with foods, so she put a lot of work into creating tasty, acid-driven wines that leave nothing to be desired. Paired with the pretty, floral branding of the bottles and cans, Herbacée provides an experience that’s darn close to the real thing. 

House of Saka 

Rounding out this list is House of Saka, a luxury cannabis wine producer we’ve doted over before. This list wouldn’t be complete without mention of their white and pink wines, as well as their sparkling cannabis chardonnay. This woman-led brand knows exactly what its customers want: interesting flavors, a good high, and no feelings of missing out. 

Thanks to their use of nano-emulsion technology, House of Saka wines will start to take effect within 5-15 minutes of consumption. It’s a pretty close comparison to sitting down with a glass of no-no juice. The company has crafted diverse flavor profiles for its offerings, with their bottle of PINK boasting red fruit, honeysuckle, and spring flora notes while their WHITE provides toasty oak, peach, and apricot flavors. With grapes straight from Napa Valley, we’re big fans of what this brand is doing for the cannabis beverage sector.