From Land to Can: How Hectare’s Is Crafting a New Future for Cannabis Drinks

In a world where cannabis consumption is growing rapidly, Hectare’s is carving out a space of its own. Based in Louisville, KY, Hectare’s creates premium hemp-derived THC products that offer a fresh, natural alternative to traditional alcohol. Their lineup includes craft sodas, seltzers, gummies, and shots—all thoughtfully crafted with natural ingredients, low-calorie options, low dosage, and a focus on full-bodied, sessionable flavors.

More than just a cannabis brand, Hectare’s is rooted in a deep respect for the land and community. After all, it’s in their name, which pays tribute to the hectare, a unit of land equivalent to 10,000 square metres. Reflecting their ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship, Hectare’s has partnered with 1% For The Planet, donating one percent of its annual revenue to improve the environment through Louisville Grows.

As the cannabis beverage market surges, Hectare’s stands apart by prioritizing quality over quick wins. With a meticulous flavor development process and a balanced one-to-one THC-to-CBD ratio, Hectare’s offers products designed for smooth, social experiences. Whether it’s their sugar-free Dragon Fruit Delta 9 Seltzer or bold Blood Orange Vanilla craft soda, Hectare’s invites you to relax, connect, and savor every moment.

Every Hectare Counts

According to NielsenIQ Associate Director of Beverage Alcohol Thought Leadership Kaleigh Theriault, in a presentation Hop Culture attended at Brewbound Live, the U.S. market measurement firm is tracking over $70 million in sales of the “fifth category,” which includes drinks with cannabis, THC, hemp, delta-8, or delta-9.

In a marketplace that is absolutely exploding, Hectare’s has found a way to stand out by focusing on two words: quality and sessionability.

“Bad brands can win in the short term,” says Jason Wade, a fourteen-year Papa John’s veteran who now leads marketing efforts for Hectare’s through his role as VP of Strategic Operations for Neace Ventures. “But quality always wins in the long term.”

At Hectare’s, the natural ingredients shine.

And while they keep their flavor formulas close to their vest, they assure that they use only natural ingredients, creating unique blends not found in other brands—such as stone fruit, dragon fruit, and blood orange vanilla.

Hectare’s COO, Nick Phillips, says the brand’s flavor formulation can be the longest part of their product roadmap. He couldn’t pin down an exact number, but says they go through a lot of iterations, sitting down to taste countless times before tweaking and finalizing a formula for production.

If flavor is top of mind, sessionability follows quickly behind, especially with Hectare’s best-selling low-dose craft sodas and seltzers.

Available in five-milligram doses, Hectare’s sessionable, canned beverages mean “you can take it slow,” says Wade. “You can have one and see how you feel.”

And if you feel good, depending on your tolerance, you can have a second.

Every product has a one-to-one ratio of THC to CBD, “just because we believe that mixture has a more full-body effect than straight THC,” explains Phillips.

So with every Hectare’s product, you control your high; you have a choose-your-own-adventure flexibility.

Wade adds, “We take that very seriously.”

Hectare’s Delta 9 Seltzer Water

Photography courtesy of Kylene’s Photography

“It’s going to be very light, sugar-free, not sweet at all,” shares Phillips, noting there are no artificial sweeteners in Hectare’s beverages and all are either low or zero calories. “It’s a very light dragon fruit taste profile, but still just as effective.”

With a five-milligram dose, the Dragon Fruit Delta 9 Seltzer will effectively hit your system within five minutes, according to Phillips.

“When you drink, at least for me it’s a couple of minutes, five minutes max,” he says. “You’re feeling it as quickly as you would feel with a beer.”

But Phillips emphasizes that the low dose means your buzz isn’t over the top. “We want products that you can enjoy socially and build up if that’s your choice,” he says.

Hectare’s Delta 9 Craft Sodas

Photography courtesy of Kylene’s Photography

Since the seltzer market is more saturated, Hectare’s strongly believes its craft soda line has the most potential for the future.

“It offers an alternative that, again, is low calorie, but is full-bodied when it comes to the taste,” says Phillips. “It’s not just a hint of something over water or cannabis. It is full flavor, but it’s not packed with sugar. It’s not hundreds of calories. So again, it’s something that can be enjoyed socially.”

With its delta-9-based craft sodas, Hectare’s offers some very complex profiles, including Stone Fruit, Dragon Fruit, Watermelon Cucumber Mint, and Blood Orange Vanilla.

Phillips says the Stone Fruit is the top seller and also Hectare’s first recipe.

“That was a unique flavor profile for us,” he says, describing it with undertones of bitters related to an Old Fashioned bourbon cocktail.

A somewhat surprising combination, Watermelon Cucumber Mint is “something fresh and light,” says Phillips, adding, “[Our craft sodas] are not heavy. They’re not meant to be a Coca-Cola.”

This flavor takes you on a journey, hitting each ingredient separately. Hence the name.

Newly launched, Blood Orange Vanilla has been crushing it. “I’ve just candidly been blown away by the feedback,” says Phillips.

Based on a nostalgic creamsicle, this new natural blood orange and vanilla combination “is a vibe that a lot of people resonate with,” says Phillips.

FIND HECTARE’S HERE

Hectare’s Shots

Photography courtesy of Kylene’s Photography

To complement its line of hemp-based beverages, Hectare’s also developed shots.

These small, two-and-a-half-ounce containers are similar to a 5-hour ENERGY shot, according to Phillips. Available in a five-milligram, ten-milligram, and twenty-milligram dose, you can again choose your own degree of high.

Each dosage comes in a different still flavor: Goji Blackberry (5mg), Dragon Fruit (10mg), and Watermelon Berry (20mg).

“They’re not bubbly,” says Phillips, noting they’re great to mix into mocktails. “They’re meant for you to just pick them up, open them, and consume.”

Hectare’s Gummies

While Hectare’s Gummies do offer a low ten-milligram dose, this is their only option that provides a higher dose, too.

According to Phillips, Hectare’s 30mg vegan Delta 9 Gummies are one of if not their most popular products.

“It’s a pretty large-size gummy, but it’s a pretty good deal on the price per milligram,” shares Phillips. “At least for me, it’s a very high dose, but you can break it up into decent sizes and consume it how you like.”

For example, if you’re a veteran cannabis user, you may enjoy the whole thing at once. However, if you’re new to it or just prefer a lower buzz, you can eat the gummy in pieces.

Whatever buzz you’re looking for, in whatever way you like it—liquid, gummy, or shot—Hectare’s has something that will land with you.

Hectare’s Lands at Kentucky Derby Festival

Photography courtesy of Hectare’s

Recently, Hectare’s became the first cannabis-based beverage company to provide delta-9 THC drinks at the nine-day Kentucky Derby Festival.

Excited about the partnership, Wade says Hectare is featured at all of the festival bars, right next to alcoholic beverages, such as draft beer.

For over a week, Hectare’s popped up at events—everything from a hot air balloon race to pickleball games, yoga classes, duck derbies, and steamboat races—offering its line of four delta-9 five-milligram sodas to new consumers.

Wade says the partnership offers Hectare’s the chance to change the narrative. “We’ve got [generations of cannabis users]—Baby Boomers, Gen X, or Millennials—and they all have a different perspective on this industry,” he explains. “Those who grew up in the Cheech and Chong era will ask what in the world is this?”

Hectare’s hopes to answer that question, sparking conversation.

Specifically, Phillips hopes the Kentucky Derby Festival partnership can open up people’s eyes to non-alcoholic alternatives.

“We are in Bourbon country,” he reminds everyone, “But we give a little bit of a healthier alternative. … There are options other than just very heavy alcohol usage in your own backyard.”

Wait, Is This Legal?

Yes!

Phillips acknowledges that Hectare’s often answers this question. “How can I enjoy this right out in public and not look over my shoulder?” he says.

The answer is simple: It’s legal.

“The big surprise is that it’s federally legal, right?” says Phillips. In 2018, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (also known as the Federal Farm Bill) federally removed hemp from the government’s list of controlled substances.

Phillips emphasizes that Hectare’s delta-9 hemp-based beverages offer the same type of buzz as marijuana. “They’re both cannabis,” he explains, “so it’s the same THC you would find in a legal dispensary in Colorado that we use; there is no chemical difference between the two.”

Where Can I Find Hectare’s

Photography courtesy of Kylene’s Photography

You can find Hectare’s in major beverage retailers, such as BevMo, Total Wine, and GoPuff, in twenty-two states. Check out their store locator to find one near you.

GO FIND YOUR HECTARE

You can also order online, and Hectare’s will ship all of its products right to your front door in all fifty states.

ORDER HERE

At Hectare’s, every sip feels like staking your claim on something better. Rooted in natural ingredients and crafted with care, Hectare’s beverages are proof that you don’t need alcohol to keep the good times—and good vibes—growing.

“We just want to continue to share the story that Hectare’s is special and our flavors are so unique,” says Wade. “We want to be the trusted brand for consumers, new and old.”

Like a well-tended field, each craft soda, seltzer, gummy, and shot is planted with quality and harvested for pure enjoyment.

In a fast-growing world of cannabis drinks, Hectare’s stands tall by staying true to the land, the people, and the experience. So kick back, crack open a can, and savor the taste of something real—Hectare’s is your field of flavor.