The RTD cocktail market is still incredibly hot, with reports citing growth of more than 100 percent over the past two years and projections that the category will reach a whopping $40 billion in value by 2027. The THC beverage market is nowhere near as large, but it is growing as cannabis becomes legal in more states. Nowadays, a leading THC drink brand, just launched a canned cocktail that it hopes will follow the RTD trajectory. And while there is no booze in the drink, the concept was certainly inspired by canned drinks in the spirits world.
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Nowadays was founded last year and has taken its cues from the NA spirits category from the get-go. The initial products were 750-milliliter bottles of THC “spirits” that came in high-dose (10 mg per serving) and low-dose (five mg per serving) versions (there is now also a 2 mg micro-dose version as well). These are meant to be enjoyed in your favorite NA cocktail, sipped neat, or poured over ice. The ingredients for these expressions include cannabis extract, water, sugar, citric acid, and preservatives, making them pretty neutral in flavor and therefore perfect for using as a mixer.
The new Nowadays THC Canned Cocktails, however, are literally “ready to drink,” with four new recipes available to consumers: Original, Spicy Lime, Citrus, and Berry. “Expanding into canned cocktails was a natural next step for us,” said Nowadays CEO and cofounder Justin Tidwell in a statement. “Our bottled spirits have been incredibly successful, and we wanted to build on that by taking everything consumers love about Nowadays and creating a canned version for an elevated ready-to-drink experience. With this innovation, we can reach even more people and continue growing the brand.”
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The initial launch of these canned cocktails are considered to be low-dose, with just five milligrams of THC per drink. Or course, everyone reacts differently to THC, so you can start by drinking half a can at first if you’re uncertain about the effects, which are said to come on in about 15 minutes. But generally speaking, five milligrams of THC is considered to be a pretty small dose. The ingredients for these drinks are similar to the bottled spirits, although each has the vague term “natural flavors” listed—presumably that is what makes them taste like berry, citrus, or spicy lime. And each can has only 25 calories and about four grams of sugar, so don’t expect these to be a saccharine sipping experience (which sounds like a good thing).
These are not the only canned THC “cocktails” on the market, of course. Some brands are modeled after the popular hard seltzer category, like Wynk, which comes in black cherry and mango flavors, while others like Cann call themselves “social tonics” and come in flavors including blood orange and cardamom. Nowadays, however seems to be inspired more by the NA spirits category, which does make it stand out. You can currently find the variety flavor six-pack available at the Nowadays website for $32 (individual flavor six-packs will arrive next month), and some online retailers like Total Wine are carrying them as well. And remember, like alcohol, you must be at least 21 years old to purchase these drinks.
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