Virginia Breweries Are Cashing In on THC Beverages: Here’s How to Join Them

Virginia breweries are adding compliant THC seltzers—and sales are taking off. This isn’t about replacing beer; it’s about serving the 1 in 7 customers who don’t drink alcohol anymore. Take care of them, and the whole group sticks around for another round—beer sales hold strong, and you gain new customers.

At Pure Shenandoah, we’re a family-owned, vertically integrated, seed-to-sale Virginia hemp manufacturer. Our cannabinoids come from Virginia farmers, and we’ve been doing this for 6+ years. We’ve partnered with Specialty Beverage to help breweries scale distribution of hemp-derived THC beverages across the Commonwealth.

Why THC Seltzers Belong in Your Taproom

  • Attract non-alcohol customers without cannibalizing beer sales.
  • Keep groups together longer—more rounds, higher tickets.
  • Slot in a low-ABV alternative (actually no alcohol) that still feels special, on-brand, and craft.
  • You already make drinks—you’re 90% of the way there.

THC Beverages Count Toward Food Sales, Not Alcohol

One of the biggest advantages of adding THC beverages is how they’re classified. Because these products are hemp-derived and non-alcoholic, sales count toward food sales—not alcohol sales under Virginia ABC rules.

For breweries, this is a major win:

  • Helps meet or exceed food-to-alcohol sales quotas required by ABC.
  • Creates a new revenue stream that supports compliance instead of complicating it.
  • Opens the door for more flexibility in taproom operations while still serving your core beer audience.

In short: THC seltzers don’t compete with beer—they strengthen your overall business model while helping keep your license secure.

Virginia Breweries Already Seeing Success

Across the Commonwealth, breweries that have added compliant THC beverages are already seeing consistent growth in taproom revenue and expanding distribution.

  • Breweries who started by testing partner products quickly moved to launching their own branded THC seltzers.
  • Early adopters have already secured placements in major retailers like Total Wine, proving customer demand is strong.
  • Breweries report that adding a THC beverage option helps them attract new customers while still keeping beer sales steady.
  • The category continues to gain traction, with new Virginia breweries entering every month.

Takeaway: The momentum is real—taprooms that act now are capturing market share while the trend is still fresh.

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Virginia Brands Already Winning with THC Beverages

We don’t just make our own THC seltzer—we supply CBD + THC dispersible inputs for breweries and beverage brands across Virginia and DC. These partners have launched compliant hemp drinks, and many are already on the shelves at Total Wine:

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“Will This Risk Our ABC License?”

Short answer: No, when done correctly. We’ve spoken with ABC and multiple Commonwealth’s Attorneys, and we’ve guided 15+ Virginia breweries through compliant launches. We don’t just ship liquid and wish you luck—we walk you through the rules and help you document compliance so your team feels confident.

We are the Virginia hemp manufacturer—compliant, established, and educators. We work closely with VDACS and can help your team with compliance questions through our in-house cannabis legal team.

What’s Selling (and Why)

  • THC seltzer Virginia (clean label, bright flavor, fast-moving)
  • 25:1 THC/CBD drinks (balanced effect profile, widely appealing)
  • Cannabis beverages Virginia as seasonal one-offs and core SKUs

Explore our Virginia-compliant beverage line and see flavor/format ideas:
➡️ Virginia Compliant Beverages

How We Help Breweries Launch Fast (and Safely)

  1. Strategy & Compliance – We review ABC/VDACS considerations, serving sizes, per-package limits, packaging/labeling, and COA documentation.
  2. Formulation & Production – Flavor-first recipes designed for the taproom and to-go formats; stable, compliant cannabinoid inputs.
  3. Distribution – Specialty Beverage partnership to scale across Virginia once you’re ready.
  4. Documentation – Batch/lot tracking, QR to COAs, age-gating guidance, in-house legal support.
  5. Go-to-Market – Sell Buzzin’ to test demand or launch a brewery-branded THC bev once you see traction.

Keep Your Taproom Thriving

This category is moving now, and breweries who hesitated are already behind—but there’s still time to own your local market. Offer a non-alcohol alternative your customers will love, stay fully Virginia-compliant, and grow taproom revenue without touching your beer program.

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Written by:
AK Koyee
Sales Manager
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