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We wanted to headline this article “Boston Beer Goes To Pot” and guess we kinda did.
Here’s the deal…
With the recreational use of cannabis already legal in 17 US states, the District of Columbia, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam, and another 13 states having decriminalized its use, big beverage companies are increasingly looking to develop drinks that deliver a pot high, the latest being Boston Beer.
On May 14th Boston Beer, home to Samuel Adams and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, announced that it is establishing a research hub in Canada (where pot is already totally legal), dedicated to the development of non-alcoholic cannabis beverages.
“Our mission since day one has been to offer drinkers the highest quality, best tasting products, and they continue to seek new options,” says Dave Burwick, Boston Beer CEO said in a press release…
What would Sam Adams think?
“Innovation is core to what we do, beginning with craft beer, then hard cider, hard iced tea, and now Truly Hard Seltzer. We believe non-alcoholic cannabis beverages could represent a new frontier of innovation and want to be ready for future opportunities in the US.”
To advance its mission Boston Beer has hired industry veteran Paul Weaver to oversee a new cannabis beverage research hub in Canada. This new subsidiary will enable the company to develop and pilot unique cannabis beverages while cannabis regulations continue to evolve in the US.
“Boston Beer’s reputation for quality is unrivaled, and the same sensibilities that drive development in beer ring true in cannabis beverages, said Weaver (whose eyes were NOT bloodshot). “Our success begins with respecting the plant and respecting the growers.”
Boston Beer is hardly the first craft beer major making moves to address the emerging cannabis beverage market.
In November, 2020, Sweetwater Brewing, the 11th largest US craft brewery, who had long played on the fringes of the cannabis trade with specialty beers like Mango Kush Wheat Ale which mimicked pot’s taste and smell but not its high, was acquired by Aphria Inc., a leading global cannabis company based in Leamington, Ontario, Canada.
That $300 million transaction afforded Aphria, a publically traded company, entry into the US market and the infrastructure to advance its cannabis business state by state.
And clearly Boston Beer took notice…
“This is just the beginning of our journey and, like any craft, requires a continuous commitment to learning,” added Boston Beer’s Weaver, whose official title is Head of Cannabis, NOT Cannabis Head…
“We know cannabis is new for many of our drinkers and they deserve the best, which is why we’re taking the time to do this right.”
