Sept. 30, 2024

This paid piece is sponsored by JJ’s Wine, Spirits & Cigars.

If you’ve been curious about the emerging options for hemp-based THC seltzers and other alternative adult beverages, you’ve got plenty of company.

“Earlier this year, we definitely got the sense these were becoming a thing,” said Tom Slattery, owner of JJ’s Wine, Spirits & Cigars.

“There were a lot of questions about legality, but it was determined earlier in 2024 that these products were perfectly legal to sell in retail environments because it falls under the federal Farm Bill, which regulates hemp-based products. The South Dakota Legislature earlier this year clarified this legality, while making other, chemically derived hemp-based THC products illegal.”

Enter naturally derived THC hemp products, now used in beverages such as seltzers and spirits.

“It is the THC we all know — just derived naturally from hemp-based products versus marijuana,” Slattery said. “These are beverages people choose because they want to try something other than alcohol.”

 We sat down with Slattery to learn more about how you can find and try these emerging beverages at JJ’s.

What does this new category of beverages mean for JJ’s as an adult-beverage store?

It’s more options for people wanting to move away from alcohol or just try something different. The products are largely seltzer-based, so they’re similar to the White Claws of the world. But instead of having alcohol in them, they have THC distillate. They’re sold largely in 5 mg and 10 mg servings, so you can kind of pick your pleasure — basically the difference between a Bud Light or Miller Lite and a higher-alcohol craft beer, like a hazy IPA.

 What kind of variety is available in these beverages?

It’s rapidly evolving, and there’s more products coming to the market regularly. Right now, we carry more than 60 items, with more on the way. We’ve largely chosen them based on what’s coming through our current distribution model with some of our liquor and beer wholesalers, although we buy some direct from a producer, and we vet all our products based on ingredients and taste.

As most of the beverages are “seltzer” products, we also offer Nowadays, which is a THC-based substitute for gin or vodka that can be used in cocktail crafting.

How popular are these — and what would you recommend to a new consumer of them?

They’re all basically fruit seltzers, so you’ll find the same flavors you would in seltzers: mango, pineapple, root beer, orange pop type flavors. People are responding very positively. They like the flavors, and they’re interested because they’re looking at moving away from alcohol and because there’s quality. The products taste good.

Can you try these in the JJ’s Bar?

You can. We offer a crafted cocktail called Zach’s Back made with Nowadays, a THC-infused nonalcohol spirit, with pineapple juice, fresh-squeezed lime and prickly pear syrup. It’s strained over ice in a smoked Collins glass and topped with ginger ale. But our mixology team can also get creative when a customer asks for something not on the menu.

We also have several cans on the singles rack, so people can pick up a product, and we charge an open fee just like with our canned beer. They’re names you’ll recognize: Lupulin Brewing, Modist Brewing, Surly Brewing, Fair State Brewing, Oliphant Brewing, Trail Magic and Eponymous Brewing.

So key question — what kind of effect do you feel?

I don’t drink them, so I can’t opine directly. I have tried a few but not enough to get what you’d call a buzz. What people are saying is it’s based on how you feel after a can of beer. So with a lower milligram, you won’t feel as much until maybe you have a second, and with a higher one, you’ll feel some after one. But how people react depends on their own metabolism.

Do you plan to do more with THC beverages?

We will have a few items on display at our October FREE Wine EXPO on Tuesday, Oct. 1, from 5 to 7 p.m., but watch this fall for more. They’re just to give people an opportunity to try the different ones for flavor profiles, not for inebriation. A 1-ounce pour won’t have an effect. It’s more to see the flavor.

The Boozy Bakery has been dabbling with making some ice cream and other desserts with the Nowadays THC spirit. These have gone over very well. Watch for more coming in the future!