Terpenes And Taste Power This Caesar

Jun 04, 2023

House of Terpenes Canntinis, a Truss Beverage Co. brand, announced the latest addition to its arsenal: THC-SAR, an alcohol-free cannabis beverage inspired by the “most Canadian drink ever”—the Caesar. Think of it as the Canadian Bloody Mary.

The Cannabis Beverage Association called taste the “live and die metric” for infused beverages in today’s market. With this in mind, THC-SAR is loaded with quality ingredients, including a tomato-based terpene, as well as 10mg THC and 10mg cannabigerol (CBG), to deliver a drink of this caliber.

House of Terpenes Canntinis introduces THC-SAR.

“As one of the first Caesar-inspired cannabis beverages on the market, it was critical for the new THC-SAR to be true-to-taste with a classic Caesar, and include the instantly recognizable notes of spicy tomato, umami flavors of clam, Worcestershire, celery, and black pepper,” says Truss Beverage Co. Marketing & Innovation Lead Melanie Smith.

“We know that taste continues to be the number one driver of purchase consideration for cannabis beverages, so developing drinks with complex flavor profiles is something we have always been committed to as Canada's leading cannabis beverage company.”

The drink contains lycopene, which is both a terpene and a pigment. The lycopene is tomato-based—not cannabis-based—and is found in watermelon, grapefruit, and other reddish-pink fruits.

“As with all House of Terpenes products, our terpenes are botanically-sourced,” Smith says. “We believe there is a big opportunity to educate consumers on terpenes—as terpenes are found in the cannabis plant but are also present in nearly all plants including fruits and veggies.”

Part of House of Terpenes’ appeal is the low sugar content in most of the Canntinis. Additionally, it’s not just about taste, it’s about convenience, coming in a can.

“Ongoing feedback informs us consumers look for cannabis beverages that not only offer familiar flavors and formats, but can be easily incorporated into their established occasions,” Lori Hatcher, Head of Commercial at Truss Beverage Co., said in the announcement. “Analogous to a traditional Caesar, the THC-SAR can also be enjoyed in the morning, even offering avid cannabis consumers a new smoke-free way to wake and bake.”

Why the surge of cannabis-infused mocktails? Cannabis sales continue to outpace alcohol: According to data from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), legal states in the U.S. in 2021 collected an estimated 20% more in taxes from cannabis sales than from the sale of alcohol. Similar trends were observed in Canada.

“House of Terpenes Canntinis offers the first cannabis-infused mocktails in Canada, and was introduced to answer the call for more diverse and delicious high-potency offerings—particularly during a time when more legal-age consumers are seeking alternative adult-beverages to alcohol,” Smith says.

The brand launched Canntinis in October 2022, first with Cranberry Citrus Cosmo and Ginger Lime Mule, both of which are also loaded with terpenes. The Cosmopolitan-inspired Cranberry Citrus Cosmo features notes of cranberry, lime, orange zest, and terpineol, while the Mule-inspired Ginger Lime Mule has notes of ginger beer, lime, and curcumene.

“As we head into summer, we’re thrilled to introduce THC-SAR, which is great to sip on at any social occasion or even provide consumers with a smoke-free way to wake & bake.” Smith says.

House of Terpenes Canntinis introduces Caesar-inspired THC-SAR.

The majority of consumers want a kick to their infused drinks. “With high-potency beverages accounting for over 72% of all cannabis beverage sales in Canada, we know that avid cannabis consumers are looking for more differentiated drinks in the 10mg THC segment,” Smith says. “Having consistently listened to consumer feedback to help inform our product innovation, we wanted to answer the call and be one of the first brands to include CBG in a high-dose beverage in Canada and designed the THC-SAR as a 10mg THC and 10 mg CBG beverage that is perfect for social occasions.”

House of Terpenes Canntinis’ THC-SAR is available for legal-age Canadians at licensed cannabis retailers in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario. Availability and prices for THC-SAR will differ by province and retailer.

“Over the past few years, the cannabis industry has continued to evolve and in turn, has become much more accepted by consumers,” Smith adds. “From cannabis retailers adapting their store formats to mimic a more traditional shopping experience to the introduction of exciting innovations like cannabis mocktails and cannabis (non-alcoholic) brews, appealing to a wider range of taste preferences. It’s a really exciting time to be in cannabis where the possibilities are truly endless, and at Truss we’re thrilled to contribute to this evolution by continuing to offer delicious cannabis drinks that provide consumers with a unique beverage-consumption experience.”

Also new to the company is Mollo 10, providing Canadian adults with the first cannabis-infused brew with 10mg THC and 10mg CBG in the country.

House of Terpenes Canntinis THC-SAR as well as their Mollo 10 will be available at licensed cannabis retailers and on OCS.ca as of May 11, with availability and pricing differing per province and store. To learn more visit the website.