Cool off with cannabis-infused drinks
Ahhhh, summer! The sun-filled days of water sports and adventurous hikes are just around the corner. And after a day of playing hard, is there anything better than kicking back at a BBQ with friends, blanketed under the starry night sky?
When you’re packing your BYOB cooler for your next party or potluck, toss in something that’s a creative update on a classic Washington beverage: Happy Apple cannabis-infused cider.
Within months of its introduction in spring 2017, Happy Apple was the number one selling cannabis infused drink in the state, said Tyler Peterson, general manager of GreenMed Lab, a 502 licensed cannabis processor in Seattle.
It was the first infused drink created using SōRSE (pronounced “source”), a process developed by Tarukino Holdings (now SōRSE Technology) that produces a taste- and odor- free cannabis emulsion that’s ready for infusion. GreenMed Lab is licensed to use SōRSE technology in creating infused products.
Made with Washington-grown apples and cannabis, Happy Apple is available in three levels of THC potency in 12 oz. bottles: the best-selling 100mg, 50mg and a “diet” version at 10mg.
Other beverages created with SōRSE are Utopia sparkling water (available in six flavors at 5mg, 10mg, 30mg and 100mg THC); Vertus, a sparkling wine substitute available in 750ml bottles (50mg or 100mg THC); and their newest product Reeb, a barley soda that tastes like beer (available in four flavors at 5mg, 10mg, 30mg and 100mg THC).
If those don’t quench your thirst, Pearl2o is a water-based infused mixer that can be added to almost any drink. You can even download recipes for seasonal dishes and cocktails.
Peterson said GreenMed Lab introduced two new products this spring: Major, an economically priced 100mg THC infused fruit punch and pink lemonade, and a “happy accident” called Atomic Apple.
“It’s a bad recipe of Happy Apple that turned out super tart and sour,” he said, adding that the new products are “selling like gangbusters!”
Along with beverages, GreenMed Lab also produces Velvet Swing, a sexual lubricant, and Velvet Kiss, a spray tincture.
“We’re primarily a beverage company, but we might get into a few more topicals,” Peterson said.
“We’ve heard all kinds of unique requests; nothing is off the table,” he said, mentioning infused condiment packets, like ketchup and barbecue sauce. “It wouldn’t be difficult to do,” he said, but the production and packaging process would take some time to create. “If there is something we can fold into our process, it makes more sense.”
Peterson hopes to see the demand for cannabis infused beverages evolve to a point where people will see low-dose products as a social beverage that can be enjoyed over time.
“The market just isn’t there yet. We’re maybe a year or two too early. We want it to be available and we want to go there – we just need the market to get there too,” he said.
Happy Apple and other SōRSE beverages using are available at a number of cannabis retailers across Washington. Visit gmlprocessor.com for more information.