Boston Beer To Develop Cannabis Drinks, Eyeing Future U.S. Opportunity

The Boston Beer Company announced this morning that it’s establishing a new research and innovation hub in Canada that will focus on non-alcoholic cannabis beverages. The company has hired industry veteran Paul Weaver to lead the Canadian subsidiary business, where he will focus on developing and piloting cannabis drinks in advance of federal legalization in the U.S.

The development comes nearly two years after CEO David Burwick told CNBC the company was looking at cannabis drinks. “We’re not going to be the first one in, but we’re going to study and learn once the hard seltzer category develops,” he said at the time.

“Innovation is core to what we do, beginning with craft beer, then hard cider, hard iced tea, and now Truly Hard Seltzer,” Burwick said of today’s news. “We believe non-alcoholic cannabis beverages could represent a new frontier of innovation and want to be ready for future opportunities in the U.S.”—Danny Sullivan

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