HiFi Hops - A Cannabis Infused Sparkling Water

​Here we are, more than halfway through the first year of recreational cannabis in California.  While I may not be thrilled with the changes we've been experiencing, not only as an employee in the cannabis industry but as a consumer as well, I realize that eventually the dust will settle and things will feel normal again. Plus, recreational cannabis opens the door to an array of new products, like this Absolute Extracts and Lagunitas collaboration: HiFi Hops.

This is not the pairs first collaboration. In 2017 the SuperCritical series debuted; two cannabis vape cartridges infused with hop terpenes plus the Supercritical IPA - a non THC beer infused with cannabis terpenes. Lagunitas has a long history of cannabis appreciation since they opened in 1993. In 2001 the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureu asked them to rename their 'Kronik' Copper Ale because of its reference to cannabis. They changed the name to 'Censored.' In 2005 the brewery was shut down for their weekly 4:20 parties, upon reopening they brewed a Bitter Ale named 'The Undercover Investigation Shut Down Ale.' In 2011 they brewed an IPA in commemoration of The Waldos, the group of guys who made 4:20 a time and day we celebrate.

Complete with compliant, child-proof pop tops, each can contains 10mg of active cannabis, a 10mg THC drink and a 1:1 version with 5mg of each THC and CBD. It's different than other edibles because the cannabis used is water soluble. Technically a sublingual, your body starts absorbing as soon as it hits your mouth and is absorbed into your bloodstream through your stomach, rather than having to be digested. This results in a fast acting, long lasting high.

The flavor is familiar, enjoyable and refreshing. It tastes like what it is, hoppy sparkling water. It does not taste like beer, in my opinion, but that's also not a bad thing. I felt refreshed while I was drinking it, not something I can always say with beer. I drank both cans, and I can certainly felt stoney. If you're  looking for a beer replacement and have a low tolerence to edibles and want to try something new, go snag a can and sip it slow. For more experienced cannabis users, this may be a fun drink to have in the fridge but you might need a few to get you going. Beer lovers might not enjoy this product as much because of it's lack of mouthfeel. But if you're like me, a lover of both, you will most definitely enjoy this refreshing cannabis infused hoppy beverage.