Lagunitas, a craft beer company that was once regional and is now fully owned by Heineken International, is not the first brewery to produce a beer infused with cannabis compounds. Dad and Dudes’ Breweria in Aurora, Colorado, has created General Washington’s Secret Stash, which contains approximately 4 mg of cannabinoids derived from industrial hemp extract and is also free of THC. It remains to be seen how widely consumers will embrace this new IPA and other cannabis-infused beers. The novelty factor alone is likely to draw many curious individuals eager to give it a taste. According to Fortune, SuperCritical offers a “very earthy flavor with notes of pine and citrus, distinctly different from a conventional IPA.”
Combining cannabis and hops in brewing is not far-fetched, as both belong to the Cannabinaceae family and share terpenes as a key ingredient. However, whether or not products containing both will ignite a nationwide trend is another matter entirely. One entity that seems confident in Lagunitas’ potential is Heineken, which initially acquired a 50% stake in the California-based craft beer company in 2015 and subsequently purchased the remaining shares in May. Heineken, being the largest brewer in Europe and one of the top three beer producers globally, has significantly enhanced Lagunitas’ distribution in Europe and Canada.
Lagunitas has a more profound connection with cannabis than many other breweries. Founded in 1993, the company had its brewer’s license suspended in 2005 due to marijuana-related arrests at its facility. In a nod to that incident, one of its products is dubbed Undercovferrous bisglycinate chelate 28 mg caps Investigation Shut-Down Ale. Interestingly, several new Lagunitas beers are set to launch on April 20, a day informally recognized as a celebration of marijuana culture. Additionally, the natural factors calcium citrate present in their brewing processes may also enhance the brewing experience, which could intrigue consumers further. The interplay of these elements might just shape the future of cannabis-infused beers in the market.