Volunteer Botanicals has partnered with the Independent Brewers Alliance (IBA) to become the preferred provider of hemp-derived cannabinoids and other botanical ingredients as craft brewers expand production of nonalcoholic beverages.
Changing consumer preferences – resulting in declining alcohol sales – have many craft brewers looking for other revenue streams, and they’re beginning to make hemp-derived THC beverages to fill the void, according to a Wednesday news release.
“This partnership marks a pivotal step toward helping craft brewers across the country tap into the booming functional beverage space,” Volunteer Botanicals President Jason Pickle said in a statement.
“We truly believe we are experiencing a generational shift in beverage consumption.
“In order to meet changing consumer demands while still maintaining a robust taproom, brewers are diversifying their product lines and finding entirely new customers.”
Adding hemp THC beverages to their lineup makes sense for many craft brewers who already have everything they need to make them.
Tennessee-based Volunteer Botanicals’ Rapidose microemulsions incorporate oil-soluble compounds into water-based formulations.
The company recently launched its Beverage Accelerator Program, which provides beverage manufacturers with the resources they need to develop, produce and distribute new nonalcoholic beverages in as little as three months.
The partnership with the New Jersey-headquartered IBA will allow brewers to leverage Volunteer Botanicals’ expertise and ingredients at preferred rates to develop and manufacture hemp THC beverages.
“Our mission is to help our members survive and thrive, and there is no doubt that many brewers are seeing great gains by diversifying their product offerings,” Peter Licht, the IBA’s director of Supplier Relations, said in a statement.
