By Tekisha Harvey
The world of hemp beverages is overflowing with new brands— the 2025 Hemp Beverage Expo in downtown Atlanta, it was clear: we’re not just talking CBD seltzers anymore. The event brought together 1200 attendees which included brands, distributors, manufacturers, and believers in the future of infused drinks. I walked the expo floor, sipped my way through dozens of booths, and sat in on panel discussions covering everything from retail strategy to regulation to product innovation. Here’s what stood out.
Lessons from the Panels
The “Marketing that Moves the Needle” panel was a crash course in what it really takes to sell hemp-infused beverages in a still-stigmatized, fast-evolving space. Spoiler: there’s no one-size-fits-all formula.
The brand Plift shared that 65% of their customers are still men, though that number is shifting. Meanwhile, Pharos reported that over 50% of their consumers are women.
“We created our product with moms in mind—sessionable, wine-adjacent, and a flavor profile that feels familiar.”
— Mary Eggers Bernuth, President, Pharos Brands
Both examples prove that knowing your audience is key to gaining traction.
Dosing was also a hot debate. Should brands stick to low-dose (5mg or less) to keep things safe and newbie-friendly? Or offer a range to meet the needs of more seasoned consumers? I think both are necessary to grow the category while keeping it inclusive.
In the “Beyond the Can” panel, they explored formats outside the standard 12oz seltzers, like 750ml bottles (think a bottle of liquor like OG brand Mxxn), infused powder mixes (like Brelixi), and even kegged beverages. These formats mirror familiar alcohol rituals and address real consumer needs like discretion and portability.
So Many Bubbles, Not Enough Differentiation
With so many brands represented on the expo floor, a shakeout feels inevitable. The number of bubbly-in-a-can options was overwhelming—something I imagine consumers feel too when shopping at stores.
But a few brands did stand out:
- Pharos – I was told to smell each flavor before sipping, and it made a difference. The Mango reminded me of the dried mango from Trader Joe’s. It’s designed for grown-up palates looking for a touch of sweetness and, in their words: calm in a can.
- Looner – These 10mg sodas nailed nostalgic flavors like Root Beer and Grape. Fun, flavorful, and very much not your average seltzer.
- Silver Hawk 420 – Non-alcoholic sangria-style wine. Enough said. A solid pick for wine lovers looking to swap the booze.
- Dirty Lemondade – Loved the origin story. The founder created it as a way to help his ailing mother, who wouldn’t touch cannabis otherwise. The sweet, lemon-forward flavors tasted like summer in a can.
- Cornbread Hemp – Known for having the first USDA organic gummies, their new seltzer line caught my eye with their appetizing can design. I always say, we eat with our eyes, and kudos to Cornbread Hemp for nailing the assignment.
Big Brands Making Their Beverage Debut
- WYLD – Our 2023 Best Edible WOW! Award winner now offers drinks with other beneficial cannabinoids CBD, CBC, and CBG. It lives up to the hype.
- STIIIZY – Known for vapes, now in the beverage game with 5mg social tonics. Caribbean Breeze was my personal fav with its light, tropical flavor.
Final Thoughts
“Beverages are the tipping point of the sphere for getting into the cannabis category.”
— Thomas Winstanley, Edibles.com
The Hemp Beverage Expo made one thing crystal clear: drinks are cannabis’s smoothest on-ramp. With innovation in flavor, format, and formulation and a growing understanding of who’s buying and why, this category is moving from niche to necessary. For those curious about cannabis but unsure where to start, hemp beverages offer a gentle entry point that is approachable, discreet, often low-dose. They are perfect for everything from post-workout wind-downs to social sipping without the hangover.
Kudos to the team behind MJ Unpacked and the Hemp Beverage Alliance for putting on such an informative conference!
