Thc Beer

Harpoon Brewery Launches THC-Infused Beer in Massachusetts

Feb. 22, 2023
‘Rec. Weed’ is made in partnership with Novel Beverage Co.

Harpoon Brewery, an established New England beer-maker, is launching a THC-based beverage with Novel Beverage Co. Rec. Weed is a “hop-forward yet approachable beverage made with 5mg of THC, real passionfruit puree, green tea and hops at only 25 calories and 3g of sugar per can.” And no alcohol.

“The adult beverage space is constantly evolving. With THC now legalized in states across much of the country – especially here in the Northeast – we saw not only high demand for a THC-based beverage, but an opportunity to experiment in a way that would uniquely leverage our strengths in the beer world,” said Dan Kenary, CEO and co-founder of Harpoon.

Rec. Weed is brewed similarly to a session ale but without fermentation, meaning it has no alcohol content. The process starts with a base of green tea and a bit of added sugar, followed by the cold steeping of Citra and other West Coast hop oils and passionfruit puree. After the steeping process, THC is added to the liquid base, and the beverage is carbonated like a traditional beer.

Rec. Weed marks the second step into marijuana-inspired products for Harpoon’s parent company, Mass. Bay Brewing Co., the first being Long Trail’s CBD Seltzer, also non-alcoholic. It’s distributed in Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Jersey.

Rec. Weed will be available in 12 oz. slim cans with a suggested retail price of $6.99, only at recreational dispensaries in Massachusetts.

About the Author

Dave Fusaro | Editor in Chief

Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.

Sponsored Recommendations

F&B Manufacturer Implements Powerful Cybersecurity

A leading F&B manufacturer has moved to harness the skills of Rockwell Automation and Claroty to harden their OT and IT defences.

6 Ways to Augment Your Food and Beverage Workforce

Modern digital tools and technologies help attract, retain and empower a modern workforce.

2024 Manufacturing Trends - Unpacking AI, Workforce, and Cybersecurity

The world of manufacturing is changing, and Generative AI is one of the many change agents. The 2024 State of Smart Manufacturing Report takes a deep dive into how Generative ...

Better OT Asset Management Increases Uptime

A food and beverage company streamlines and simplifies its OT cybersecurity to increase system reliability and uptime.