By: Gaby Sandor:
Cannabis and wine have long been intertwined. Whether it has been mixing fermentation with infusion, or consumption with creation, the two share a history, and only recently have people been putting infused alcoholic beverages on the shelves.
However, the law says that, legally, you cannot mix alcohol and THC in the same product – you can’t even sell weed and wine under the same roof, according to California law. That being said, none of these beverages listed, or any that one might find in a dispensary or store, are actually alcoholic.
Many of them are made with the same fermentation processes, but the alcohol has simply been taken out and substituted with cannabis. Due to the lack of alcohol, these beverages tend to contain a lower calorie count, if that is something that you are looking for.
Reckless Love
Rebel Coast Winery, a California-based winery, offers an infused Sauvignon Blanc – no alcohol, all THC. Rebel Coast got their start making traditional wines, all alcohol, no THC, and began preparing to make the switch right as California was to legalize recreational cannabis use in 2018.
Their cannabis-infused wine touts 20MG in each bottle, or around 5MG of THC per glass, and comes in at $45. The beverage, as noted above, is a California Sauvignon Blanc that does not taste strongly of cannabis, but of the wine’s signature acidic, citrusy, crisp flavor.
Rebel Coast operates out of the vineyards of Sonoma, California and is only available for purchase throughout the state – they’ll even deliver it to you! They declare: get high, not hungover. Sounds pretty good if you ask me.
House of Saka
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House of Saka wines are “infused luxury,” as they say. They offer a sparkling brut rosé and a still rosé and they definitely look luxurious.
House of Saka traces their history back to ancient civilizations, from where they have derived their namesake. Saka, they explain, is the name of an ancient people who utilized cannabis at the center of their spiritual practices.
The creators of the House of Saka brand were inspired by the Saka people, and have created infused beverages that they say will take effect in 15 minutes or less. Both Saka Pink and Sparkling Pink are created with grapes from California’s own Napa Valley.
House of Saka has specially crafted their beverages so that the flavor profiles satisfy the palette of a sophisticated wine consumer, while also providing the desired elevated experience for the traditional cannabis consumer.
CannaVines
CannaVines are currently only available through Cannabis Tour’s Wine and Weed Tours. If you have a chance to take the trip, you’ll get a chance to try these strain-specific wines.
They offer a red blend infused with Headband, a Chardonnay infused with Sour Diesel, and even a Rosé infused with Grand Daddy Purple. CannaVine works primarily with CBD oil, but some of these options do contain percentages of THC.
Their central focus at CannaVine is the different health benefits of cannabis. Combining wine and cannabis, they say, has the potential to reduce hangover symptoms, relieve pain and soreness, support creativity, decrease anxiety, and promote longevity.
You will notice that most of the wines are infused with indica-dominant strains, an ode to indica’s beneficial properties. CannaVine, more than most other brands, offers variety to the consumer. Between the different varieties of wine and strains of cannabis, you have a great array to choose from.
Hi-Fi Hops
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This last brand does not actually offer wine, but sparking water infused with hops. Lagunitas Brewing Company, based out of Petaluma, California, released this sparkling water in 2017.
The water is the brainchild of the brewing company and AbsoluteXtracts, known for their strain-specific vape cartridges. The history of Lagunitas, in their own words, has always been infused with cannabis.
But it was not until 2017 that they were able to create a product that reflected this. This sparkling water is zero-alcohol, zero-calorie, zero-carb. So, what does it have?!
There are two versions of the beverage – one comes in at 10MG THC, 0MG CBD, and the other at 5MG THC, 5MG CBD. Hi-Fi Hops is only available for purchase in California and Colorado dispensaries.
One Lagunitas employee says, “It’s a hoppy sparkling water that drinks like a beer.”
These four brands offer a grand variety of products and between them, you can choose from high THC, high CBD, a balance of both, but all of them will be alcohol-free.
These beverages are a great option if you are not looking to consume alcohol, or cannot consume alcohol, but are searching for something that might mimic the flavor or effects.
Many of these products are strictly available for purchase in California, or in some cases in Colorado, but hopefully a new wave of legalization will make this beverages more readily available for everyone. Until 3hen, if you do have access to these wines, they are worth a try.
Gaby Sandor is a writer who focuses on cannabis lifestyle, culture, and history.