Beer promises cannabis aroma and flavor, but no high: would you try it?

A new beer promises consumers an experience similar to that of consuming cannabis but without the “high” caused by weed.

The effect is made possible by the addition of terpenes (or terpenoids), compounds produced by parts of the plant that are a kind of signature.

Incorporated into the drink, they lend the label the flavor and aroma of the plant.

The unique combination of the traditional hop base with the substrates found in cannabis is the result of a partnership between the Rio de Janeiro brewery Hocus Pocus and Cool Terps, a company specialized in the extraction and marketing of terpenes.

“We collect the isolates [substances] that we have in fruits, flowers, and oilseeds so that we can combine them in different ways and obtain a recreation of the aroma of cannabis flowers without any risk of trace CBD [cannabidiol] or THC [tetrahydrocannabinol].”

“This happens precisely because the terpenes we use do not originate from the cannabis plant but from sources that are in nature,” explains João Lordello, a partner at Cool Terps.

In other words, it is a kind of copy of the taste of the herb, but cannabis doesn’t come close to the recipe.

This Thursday (20), at 4:20 pm, five seasonal versions of the beer will be released with the aromatic profile of cannabis flowers at Hocus Pocus’ bar in Largo da Batata, in the Pinheiros neighborhood of São Paulo.

The label’s bar will offer a dynamic and free workshop – the “Terp Session” – to those interested in delving into the topic and better understanding why ice cream has no hallucinogenic properties.

The highlight of the afternoon is expected to be the beer “Arjuna Mai’s Last Temptation,” made from the Amnesia Haze compound.

“Amnesia Haze is one of our favorite cannabis strains, mainly because of its citrus and earthy aromas,” says Vinicius Kfuri, founder of the Hocus Pocus brewery in Rio de Janeiro.

“To further reinforce the aroma of this Hazy Ipa, we chose a single hop, strata, to bring all that classic passion fruit in a second sensory layer,” he says.

“Arjuna Mai’s Last Temptation” can be tasted in 473 ml cans and the draft version in 100 ml (US$2.4), 300 ml (US$5.2), and 450 ml (US$7.8) glasses.”

“The same sizes will be available for the other four beers that contain cannabis compounds: Lavender Kush, Berry White, Chemdawg, and Mango Haze.”

With information from UOL