Is ReUnion Brewery’s THC-infused seltzer the start of a new trend in Johnson County?
ReUnion Brewery, best known for its distinctive craft beers and eye-catching artwork, enters a new market Friday.
The Coralville brewery has partnered with Wild Mind Ales' THC-infused seltzer brand, WLD WTR, to introduce a hemp-derived THC drink called Jungle Vibez, Iowa's first THC collaboration. Johnson County's first local THC drink will be released to the public at both of ReUnion's breweries ?in Iowa City and Coralville ? on Jan. 26.
ReUnion Brewery teamed up with WLD WTR to help birth Johnson County's latest concoction. The drink was created out of a friendship-turned-business partnership, according to ReUnion brewmaster Logan DePover.
"We had been big fans of WLDWTR, and they were a big fan of ours, so it just kind of worked out," DePover said. "It just kind of turned into a cool opportunity where we're like, 'Well, nobody's done like a collaboration on this stuff,' a beer collab but do it with a THC-infused seltzer brand.
[WLD WTR] has had great success, and we were just kind of looking at a way to do something cool ourselves."
THC-infused beverages have become a booming business in the state of Iowa due to the 2018 Farm Bill, which made hemp-derived THC readily available in the form of delta-8 and delta-9 THC. While recreational pot remains illegal and medical marijuana is strictly regulated, the growing popularity of THC drinks has provided a new way to get a buzz. The rising sober curious movement has aided the THC popularity, while beer drinking in America has fallen to the lowest level in a generation.
"People still want a buzz but don't want the lasting effects of alcohol," said Seth Groves, the sales director for WLD WTR in Iowa.
Delta-8 and delta-9 THC are derived from hemp and have similar psychoactive properties that give individuals a high associated with cannabis use. Delta-8 is typically less potent than delta-9, however.
More: High on hemp? Why Iowa’s medical marijuana laws may increase edible THC use
What can consumers expect from Jungle Vibez?
Jungle Vibez is an orange, pineapple, and banana-infused 10 mg hemp-derived THC seltzer similar to WLD WTR’s current products and ReUnion's in-house sours. THC is the component in cannabis that gives consumers a "high" after usage. It can also be found in hemp, which can legally be used for human consumption in Iowa.
Though Jungle Vibez isn't brewed at ReUnion, it is being sold and distributed through the local brewery and will be sold across the state. WLD WTR will brew and manufacture Jungle Vibez with ReUnion as a lead partner and will be sold in house at ReUnion and sold across the state through distribution partners of WLD WTR.
The THC collab with WLD WTR is more like a sour than a seltzer or water. The drink is essentially a sparkling fruit beverage and is lightly carbonated. The sour comparisons come from real fruit additions than a typical flavored seltzer or water, which often use artificial flavorings, according to a WLD WTR representative.
By itself, representatives from both ReUnion and WLD WTR say the flavor profile of Jungle Vibez is unlike anything the brewery or Wild Mind Ales has offered before.
"When you're looking at how a lot of these THC-infused seltzers are created, it's almost more like how we do our sour beers at the brewery," DePover said. "So lots of fruit, you know, sour beers that people love super heavy fruited."
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The drink came together over the past three months, ensuring that both parties caught the wave of the growing popularity of THC drinks while also wanting to put their own spin on it. Jungle Vibez uses flavor notes that representatives with ReUnion said don't exist in current THC drinks on the market in Iowa.
"We are trying to do something that neither of us has done before," DePover said.
Breaking into the THC market
ReUnion was itching for a way to break into the THC market, hoping to offer a different and unique social experience.
They think they've found it with Junble Vibez,
They think they've found it with Jungle Vibez in the collaboration, hoping to become one of the top sellers in the state by appealing to a wide range of ages.
hoping to become one of the top sellers in the state by appealing to a wide range of ages.
"We're definitely ahead of where [we] know others are," Groves said, who is a sales director with WLD WTR. "This collaboration will introduce the product to an entirely different demographic. What we are seeing demographic-wise is 35 plus-year-olds and people who haven't used THC for years and years or people who have never used THC and want an easy entry to it."
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ReUnion believes the unique collab is the start of a new trend in Johnson County, opening the door for the consumable THC market.
"We're seeing the beginning of this as a big rise. It is interesting how these things happened really quickly," DePover said. "There's a bunch of other regional players, but being local in our backyard was kind of something we've looked at, and we always want to do something cool for Iowa City and Coralville first.
We always want to be doing really fun and cool stuff, and I think we're riding the wave as it is continuing to build."
Jungle Vibez will be exclusively released on Jan. 26 at ReUnion's Coralville and Iowa City locations. To mark the milestone, ReUnion and WLDWTR is hosting a party with a DJ at the downtown Iowa City location.
More: From sparkling water to edibles, here is where you can find hemp-derived THC products
Where to find other THC products in Johnson County?
John's Grocery in Iowa City has seen a boom in THC sales in recent months, one of many businesses offering products with psychoactive products.
The loosened restriction on THC levels has led to a boom for retailers across the state, including at places like Bootleggin' Barzini's in Coralville and Up in Smoke in Iowa City.
Visit this Press-Citizen link for more options.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and business reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa’s ReUnion Brewery and WLD WTR create hemp-derived THC seltzer
