Last week we looked at top-selling THC beverage brands to watch in 2022, but this week we’re looking at brands to watch out for, either because we think they could be the next big thing or because these cannabis beverages stand out in their markets due to astute presentation and/or exemplary formulation.
Mary Jones Soda
This is the first time we’ve seen a well-known soft drink company produce a THC soda. The iconic Seattle brand rose to fame with creative marketing tactics like making labels out of user-submitted photographs, so it should be no surprise that they have the derring-do to move into cannabis. The new product portfolio includes single and multi-dose THC-infused sodas, syrups, and gummies in four popular Jones Soda flavors: root beer, berry lemonade, green apple, and orange cream.
Mobius
This Seattle brand’s sleek, resealable containers are decorated with trippy designs from Washington artist Burgandy Viscosi and deliver a floaty high that contrasts with the sleep/heavy vibe that we often associate with cannabis beverages. Made with organic agave syrup, Mobius drinks contain 100 mg of THC and come in four flavors: blood orange, blueberry, raspberry lemonade, and pineapple. (Blood orange is 1:1 THC/CBD.)
Deep Desert
A new California brand with big ambitions, Deep Desert is a sugar-free, calorie-free, fast-acting THC beverage made with California spring water flavored with hints of fruit and botanicals, including lotus flower essence. One way to stand out from the pack is to look different, and Deep Desert has nailed this. Their sleek bottles feature their jackrabbit mascot and a soothing desert scene and nicely showcase the unusually opaque beverage, which comes in pastel pink (Deep Desert Spark) and pastel blue (Deep Desert Chill). The bottles contain 50 mg of THC and are intended for multiple doses, but the company also sells single servings of 5 mg in resealable plastic containers.
Magic Number Craft Sodas and Seltzers
A lot of cannabis beverages scrupulously list their non-psychoactive ingredients but are vague on the origin and quality of their THC. Not so with Oregon’s Magic Number, whose THC sodas are made with single-strain live resin. Their sugar-free seltzers contain either 25 mg or 50 mg of THC in three flavors: lime, passionfruit, and berry. Considering that Magic Number comes in cans that can’t be resealed, these are big doses, but that seems appropriate for Oregon, as does the brand’s aesthetic, which is pretty with a touch of space-age yoga hippie. The company’s line of sodas are made with cane sugar and offer a wider range of doses: 10, 25, 50, 100 and a 1:1 mix with 25 mg of THC and CBD.
Tinley’s Elixirs
Designed to be mixed into cocktails, Tinley’s Elixirs feature intriguing blends of spices and botanicals infused with cannabis from the Emerald Triangle. The California-based company promises a fast onset and a full-flower experience, and each 1.5 oz shot delivers 5 mg of THC with only 10 calories. The elixirs come in three booze-inspired varieties: Coconut Cask, Cinnamon Cask, and Almond Cask. The brand’s old-fashioned labels and bottles are on-the-mark to appeal to the craft cocktail crowd, and the flavor combinations are equally alluring to this cocktail nerd. Each bottle contains eight doses–-so basically a party in a bottle. The company also makes a range of sparkling tonics inspired by classic cocktails.
Happy Apple
These days, we’re seeing so many beverages with extravagant artwork and complex botanical recipes. So Washington’s Happy Apple stands out from the pack by being simple. The sparkling drinks contain cider made from Washington apples, Cascade springwater, and fast-acting THC in doses of 10, 50, or 100 mg. Sometimes just tasting good is enough.
