The millennial meme “No laws when you’re drinkin’ ‘claws” just got an upgrade. Pabst Labs, responsible for the ever enjoyable Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer just launched their Cannabis-Infused Seltzer Water. Califonia residents over 21 in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Humboldt County can now order the seltzers online and have them delivered.
Innovation From Pabst Labs
This isn’t the first instance of Pabst Labs pushing themselves beyond the typical frat-lager. In 2019, Pabst released new variations on the beer: higher strength Extra, lower strength Easy, and no strength Non-Alc. PBR extended itself beyond beer. PBR Hard Coffee, PBR Hard Tea, and PBR Hard Cold Brew are more recent variations. Of course, PBR also jumped into the hard seltzer trend with PBR Stronger Seltzer. Pabst labs also released an even stronger whiskey.
“Though this is a limited initial launch, we’ve had a really enthusiastic and positive response from dispensaries and customers and are looking forward to a wider rollout in the coming months,” Pabst Labs Brand Manager Mark Faicol said in the release.
Pabst Labs Brand Manager Mark Faicol suggested that the entry of an established drink brand may help kick-start the cannabis drinks product category. CBD sparkling seltzer water like the Blackberry Seltzer by Wyld have been on the market since the 2018 Farm Bill.
Brewers In The Cannabis Industry
Pabst is not the only beer maker to try their hand at the cannabis business:
In 2018 Constellation Brands, known for Corona and Modelo, made headlines with a $3.8 billion investment in Canadian cannabis company Canopy Growth.
California-based Lagunitas Brewing Co., also in 2018, entered a partnership with AbsoluteXtracts. This California Marijuana Company also began making nonalcoholic THC-infused seltzers.
Molson Coors entered the Canadian marijuana industry in 2020 by partnering with Hexo Corp.
With convenient dosing, 5mg of THC per cannabis-infused seltzer, these drinks are perfect for microdosing. Only time will tell if the social consumption culture makes the shift from alcohol to THC.
