Anyone a hemp shandy?

Germany | Hemp drinks have been around Germany for a while now. But Oettinger brewery, renowned for its economy labels, is the first major brewer to launch a hemp beer mix. Called Hanfkiss (Hemp Kiss), it is a 2.5 percent ABV shandy, infused with green tea, herbs and hemp extracts.

Reportedly, its THC content is only 0.2 percent, meaning it is below the legal cap on THC in food products.

Taxonomically speaking, cannabis and hemp are the same plant. The difference is that hemp plants contain no more than 0.3 percent (by dry weight) of THC, while potent cannabis strains typically contain 5 to 20 percent THC.

Shandies are a popular beer category in Germany (7 percent of total beer sales in 2018) and by launching a hemp shandy Oettinger killed two birds with one stone: it overcame hemp’s negative aromas and flavours by masking them with tea and herb flavours, and it correctly chose the only generic descriptor for hemp beverages with beer: “hemp beer mix”. In German, it is illegal to call such beverages “hemp beers”. In fact, Hanfkiss is what it says on the label.

Oettinger has let it be known that it is working on a full strength beer with hemp too, without giving a release date, though. The hemp shandy is currently being trialled in several markets in northern Germany. A 0.5 litre bottle (PET) costs EUR 0.99 (USD 1.10) – or twice as much as an Oettinger beer.