As more states get on board with marijuana legalization, we are seeing an increase in canna friendly companies using cannabis promotional products to market their brands. The beer industry is no different. While some beer companies treat cannabis as competition, others have embraced it.
With craft beer seeing a sharp increase in popularity, it is no surprise that taprooms, bars and breweries seeking creative ways to promote their brand.
According to BDS Analytics, 72% of cannabis users also consume alcohol, and 82% of them are beer drinkers. Now that society is accepting pot use, the crossover potential is increasing.
Here are some creative ways cannabis themed promotional products are used in the beer industry.
Westallion Brewing Company
Westallion Brewing in West Allis, WI uses custom rolling papers as a promotional tool at their events. Used like a business card, it has all of their contact information, address and social media details. Since each booklet has 32 papers, its a business card that gets multiple views.
Fair State Brewing Cooperative
Fair State Brewing Cooperative in Minneapolis, MN used wood hitter boxes, 1 1/4 rolling papers and nug jars to promote their Big Doinks IPA release. 100% of the profit was donated to the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop in recognition of the 40,000 plus people incarcerated for marijuana offenses. A worthy cause and another area where cannabis promotional products can be useful… cannabis friendly charity events.
Lord Hobo
Lord Hobo went all out for their beer release, Dank Sauce. Custom stash jars, branded rolling papers, and grinder cards all decked out with Lord Hobo logo and decoration.
Oskar Blues
Oskar Blues used custom rolling papers to promote their release of the cannabis themed IPA series, Can O’ Bliss.
Sweetwater 420
Sweetwater 420 uses a creative personalized cannabis promo item that makes sense… bottle opener grinders. Its a flat metal card with a bottle opener on one end and a grinder on the other. Anyone lucky enough to pickup one of these limited edition goodies leveled up their “Life of the Party” status.
Goose Island Beer Co.
Goose Island Beer Company uses large stash jars as a beer mug in its latest cannabis themed beer promo. The jar included their traditional Goose Island logo on the lid and Big Blazer Dank IPA art on the front.
Hops sticky cousin
Surprisingly, beer hops are in the same family of flowering plants as marijuana. Both plants, including other plants such as lavender and citrus fruits, have aromatic molecules called terpenes and terpenoid compounds.
Both hops and cannabis have a sticky icky resinous part that appears to be of similar terpene factories, but where weed makes cannabinoids, hops make alpha & beta acids. These glands contain all the brewing and/or medicinal value as well as all the terpenes. Enough of the science babble.
Smoke N Brew
Smoke n’ Brew sells custom branded dugouts with their logo.