Taking Taste Buds to New Highs - How the F&B Industry Diversified Their Market

Get ready to discover the fascinating world of cannabis-infused food and drinks and even unlock new opportunities for your business.

The joy of eating has now been re-imagined through creative edible interpretations, after all, it’s 2023! Promising a more immersive experience to diners, cannabis-infused meal and drink experiences are gaining ground within the food and beverage world as an elevation to the usual and novel dining concepts that we see today. 

With the expansive ocean of food and drink (the market size of which is $1.5 trillion in the United States alone), it’s no surprise that the competition to be different is steep. Thus cannabis inspired fusions have also ebbed and flowed in sync with the opportunities the food and beverage industry has to offer, especially to those with a budding passion for the munchies. 

For those of us who plan to enjoy the fruits of those who endeavor to make their meal offerings more exciting, pin this for your delightful consumption:

Nostalgia Bar & Lounge

Up for something cool? Maybe feeling a little Gen Z? The whimsical and nostalgic dishes of the Nostalgia Bar & Lounge are the brainchildren of The Herbal Chef team headed by Chef Chris Sayegh in Santa Monica, California. Dining at Nostalgia Bar & Lounge promises a fun throwback to the good old Americana days when life was maybe a little more simple.  You can sip on inventive CBD and terpene-infused cocktails that are inspired by Otter-Pops and Capri Suns. Talk blast about a blast from the past.  Feel free to lounge with friends on their outdoor patio with a board game or two. Something a little different to your usual nights out.  Wanna make it a party? They do venue rentals too!

Cannavines 

Fancy a glass of white wine as you wind down your day? Or maybe a bottle of red wine to wash away the stressful week? 

Soon to hit the online market will be an artful marriage of cannabis and your beloved grape variety mindfully crafted in Napa Valley, California. Sneak peek tastings are available at Cannabis Tours, a must-experience adventure on its own, matching food and marijuana to wine. This is definitely something to look forward to. 

Find them here: https://cannavines.com/ 

Cloud Cups

What started as a food truck driving along the streets of  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is now a central kitchen facility that services eleven stores across Pennsylvania, Austin, Los Angeles and Atlanta. Cloud Cups’ claim to fame is its collection of artisanal gelatos and sorbets (over 32 flavors!) featuring bespoke flavors such as hibiscus ginger, Nutella and Mojito. 

This one-of-a-kind THC and CBD-infused dessert is made with premium all-natural ingredients. Talk about living life in the clouds. 

Find them here: https://www.instagram.com/cloudcupsdc/ 

The Green Panther Chef 

So maybe you are the hostess with the mostess. Staging your own cannabis-themed dinner has never been easier with The Green Panther Chef. The team behind this infused dinner party experience is the premiere cannabis caterer around the Washington D.C. area since 2017. They promise to make your next dinner party a tantalizing and unforgettable experience. It doesn’t stop there though, chef, owner, Crohn’s Survivor and Cannabis Educator Jazmin also offer teachable online courses to help you learn how to cook with CBD. After all, who wouldn’t want to learn more ways to reduce stress, and anxiety through the universal language of love and self-care: food. 

Find them here: https://www.greenpantherchef.com/ 

Broomwagon

4 words: Bikes + Coffee + Beer + Food. Mixed-used cafe concepts are one of the hottest restaurant buzzwords these days. Found in Lexington, Kentucky,  this promising coffee and bike shop multitasks harder than most. What makes them a little bit more different (and fun) than others are its special concoctions that blend Bluegrass Hemp Oil (BHO) CBD into their organic fruit smoothies. 

They even add a little bit of the unconventional kick to their lattes, teas or milkshakes, with customers able to order additional serving shots of CBD similar to the usual addition of “a shot of espresso”. 

Find them here: https://broomwagonbikes.com/cafe/ 

Milkweed Cannabis Confections 

Made with love in Burlington, Vermont, Milkweed Cannabis Confections is a spinoff of the well-loved restaurant Monarch and the Milkweed known for its highly creative cocktails. Edibles as a concept is an oldie but a goodie. As the first foray into the food world, edibles have evolved from the humble pot brownies into the indulgent sweet-tooth favorites we know and love today. 

Milkweed Cannabis Confections is in a league of its own as it marries local Vermont ingredients and craftmanship, revered French pastry traditions and Vermont organic full spectrum CBD. Visit their online shop and browse through a curated selection of confectionaries for your personal consumption or for gifting. Can’t get enough?  They have special subscription packages so you don’t forget to replenish your stash.  

Find them here: https://milkweedconfections.com/ 

Wake n Bakery 

Chicago’s original cannabis-infused bakery and coffee shop fills an additional gap in the market with its custom-infused full spectrum cakes. Their THC-infused custom cakes are freshly baked for your big day. Their full-service bakery and pastry shop offers full-sized cakes, cupcakes and vegan mini bundt cakes that are elevated with locally sourced hemp from Lakeview Chicago. No need for an occasion to celebrate with Wake n Bakery’s custom cakes, because honestly, you can have your cake and eat it too. 

Find them here: https://wakenbakery.net/ 

What does this mean for businesses and supply chains?

Thanks to the growing social acceptance and legalization of cannabis in select states in the USA, adults who have initially stopped curiosity in its tracks, now have the freedom to try the alternative herb in a more socially accepted and widely enjoyed form. The number of these first-timers is steadily rising. 

And what does this mean for the business owners and supply chains? It’s no longer a gold rush, as we enter into an untapped green ocean of opportunity. It’s a kush rush. 

So raise up your glasses or your spoons, as we cheer to that!