Interview: Pamos Beverage Co. Taps Market For Spirits-Style THC Drinks
June 18, 2024While much of the hemp THC drinks space is dominated by seltzer offerings, Los Angeles-based label Pamos is targeting the market for THC offerings in the mold of the spirits category. Pamos includes spirits-style beverages in 2mg and 5mg THC per serving dosages, as well as three RTD cocktails—in 2mg, 5mg, and 10mg strengths—with more in the pipeline. The spirits sell on the brand’s website at $40 for the 2mg version and $45 for the 5mg, while the cocktails range from $24-$28 a four-pack, with pricing a few dollars lower across the lineup in the retail market. SNDC executive editor Daniel Marsteller recently spoke with Pamos president Jared Dougherty for an update.
SND: What was the impetus behind the creation of the Pamos brand?
Dougherty: We started three-plus years ago in the dispensary market, beginning in California, Arizona, and Nevada, but always with an eye on eventually sitting next to alcohol. Consumers are looking for a very different product when they walk into a dispensary versus when they walk into a liquor store. We recognize that, and we also recognize generational declines in alcohol consumption and the generational increases in openness to cannabis. But the barrier for consumers can be the smoking aspect, and the idea of a glass in hand is the most ubiquitous thing when it comes to socializing.
SND: What does the portfolio look like?
Dougherty: We saw the opportunity to push all in on the hemp THC space and we now have versions of our products in Delta-9 derived from hemp. We’re in the alcohol channels now. The idea of the brand was always to be a spirit brand, so we launched with our halo Pamos spirit. It’s a 750-ml. bottle, and looks great behind a bar or on the home bar cart. We created the flavor, so Pamos tastes like Pamos, but it’s very mixable in everything from a Bloody Mary to a Margarita.
We also launched a line of ready-to-drink canned cocktails. Our cocktails are different from a lot of other brands in that they’re our version of classic cocktails: Peach and Guava Bellini, Raspberry Long Island Iced Tea, and a Tropical Mai Tai. They’re flavors people are familiar with. When we looked at the category, all we saw was seltzer and more seltzer, and we wanted to offer something different. We’ll launch three more cocktails by the end of the year.
SND: Which products are resonating within the portfolio?
Dougherty: We’re really thrilled at the adoption and the repeat purchases of our spirit. It comes in two different dosages, measured out by the standard 1.5-ounce shot. We’ve got one bottle that’s 2mg THC and one bottle that’s 5mg THC, and people are gravitating towards the latter spirit. There’s such an idea of romance around the home bar, and I think the idea of grabbing your favorite glass and pouring a cocktail to relax at the end of a long day really resonates with people, even those looking for other options than alcohol. We’re seeing some great traction.
SND: What kind of scale are you expecting to achieve in the near term?
Dougherty: We’re in 10 markets, and we have another 15 coming online. The sky is the limit, because more and more players will step into the space as regulatory issues get clarified. We have a great network of co-packers that continues to grow. We started on the East Coast, and we now have a co-packer in the middle of the country and one on the West Coast as well. So we’re ready to scale to meet the demand.
We’ll have more with Pamos president Jared Dougherty in the second part of this interview.
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