Shop
The 11 Best THC Drinks We Tried This Year
They include seltzers, sodas, a spirit alternative, and one very strong shot.
Walk into a grocery store, liquor store, or convenience store in most states, and you’ll probably spot THC drinks chilling near the beer. The category is booming. Tracked retail sales hit $239 million between April 2025 and April 2026, and are up 135% year over year, according to NielsenIQ data.
Because of its explosive growth, there are a lot of drinks to choose from. To help you find your favorite, we did some serious sipping. We tried seltzers in four potencies, spirit alternatives, nonalcoholic beers, sodas, ranch waters, iced teas, and shots, then chose 11 standouts.
But first, a quick primer on how THC drinks work, what to know about dosing, and how they compare with alcohol.
Already know your way around the THC drinks cooler? Skip ahead to the list.
What Are THC Drinks?
THC drinks are nonalcoholic beverages infused with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the chemical responsible for the intoxicating effects of cannabis. Some are bright and bubbly, and others are sweet, nostalgic, or ready to mix into a mocktail. Most are sold in servings, with the amount of THC clearly listed in milligrams per can, bottle, or pour. Unlike traditional cannabis products, THC drinks feel at home in a cooler, at a cookout, or on a bar cart.
Many hemp-derived THC drinks use nanoemulsification, a process that disperses tiny cannabinoid droplets through water so the drink mixes more evenly.
How Long Do THC Drinks Take to Kick In?
THC drinks take effect more quickly than edibles, closer to the timeline of alcohol.
- Nanoemulsified THC drinks take around 15 to 45 minutes to kick in
- Effects can last two to six hours
- Timing varies by formulation, dose, tolerance, metabolism, and whether you’ve eaten.
Start low, sip slowly, and give the drink time to take effect before having more, especially with higher-potency products. A quick onset isn’t a reason to rush.
THC Drinks vs. Alcohol
Because so many people are looking for alternatives to alcohol, the demand for THC drinks has skyrocketed. Alcohol consumption is declining among younger generations, while older ones seek out more health-conscious beverages.
People reach for THC drinks to cut back on alcohol, to go Cali sober, or to sip something at a party that isn’t beer. Here’s how the two compare:
- No alcohol: None of the drinks on this list contain alcohol, so there’s no hangover.
- Calories: The count varies by product and flavor, so check the nutrition label.
- Vibe: Many consumers describe having more body relaxation, a clear-headed social buzz, and a more gradual, controllable onset, especially when they sip slowly.
- Dosing: Labels list milligrams per can and serving, making the dose easier to predict than with homemade edibles.
- Drug tests: THC drinks will cause a positive result on a standard drug test.
- Driving: Don’t drive after drinking THC, just as you wouldn’t drive after drinking alcohol.
Hop Culture’s 11 Best THC Drinks
We’ve updated our 2025 list to explore the best THC beverages we sampled in 2026.
The Best THC Drinks at a Glance
- Best for beginners: Crescent 9 Tropical 5 mg THC Seltzer
- Best THC spirit alternative: Ellora THC-Infused Spirit Alternative
- Best for sleep: Crescent 9 Sour Watermelon 20 mg THC Seltzer
- Best THC beer: Tripleswitch Nonalcoholic THC Beer
- Best dessert-style THC soda: Keef Bubba Kush Root Beer
- Best throwback THC soda: Crescent 9 Grape Lemonade THC Seltzer
- Best THC ranch water: Howdy THC Ranch Water
- Best high-potency THC drink: 50 mg Crescent 9 THC Seltzer Variety Pack
- Best THC iced tea: Uncle Arnie’s Iced Tea Lemonade
- Best THC shot: Crank Cannabis THC Shot
- Best overall: 10 mg Crescent 9 THC Seltzer
Crescent 9 Tropical 5 mg THC Seltzer
Best THC Drink for Beginners
If you’ve never had a THC drink, start here. Each can of Crescent 9 Tropical THC Seltzer has 5 mg THC and 4 mg CBD, a low dose that works for the THC-curious and for anyone swapping out a light beer or glass of wine. Crafted with mango puree and natural ingredients, the drink anchors the Crescent 9 lineup.
It’s crisp and fruity, and delicious cold. Drink it slowly, and give it 45 minutes or so before you decide you want a second one to ensure that the sipping stays easy.
Ellora 10 mg THC-Infused Spirit Alternative
Best THC Spirit Alternative
Ellora arrives in a bottle instead of a can, and that changes the mood entirely. Ellora THC-Infused Spirit Alternative is delightful poured over ice, sipped neat, or shaken into a cocktail. A 1.5 oz pour has 10 mg of THC, and each bottle holds 170 mg, about 17 pours.
It’s still (no fizz), smooth, and medium-bodied, without alcohol’s burn. Ellora’s bright lemon verbena, mellow organic blue agave sweetness, and floral finish all work well in sours, citrus-forward drinks, and herbal mocktails. Try a lemon drop riff, blackberry bramble, or a tequila-style ranch water with sparkling mineral water and lime. If you miss the ritual of making a drink, not just opening one, pour this.
Crescent 9 Sour Watermelon 20 mg THC Seltzer
Best for Sleep
With a potent THC dose and lip-smacking flavor, Crescent 9 Sour Watermelon 20 mg THC Seltzer is ideal for winding down and easing into sleep. Flavored with real fruit juice for a sour and sweet flavor, it’s a healthier replacement for the classic nightcap.
Alcohol-free and caffeine-free, this sour watermelon seltzer is an excellent evening option. Serve chilled, and start with a quarter of a can if you don’t have much experience with THC. Work your way up until you achieve your desired sleep effects.
Tripleswitch Nonalcoholic THC Beer
Best THC Beer
Beer people, this one’s for you. Tripleswitch Brewing makes nonalcoholic THC beers in familiar styles, and the Hazy IPA is prime if you like your beer juicy. It’s brewed with pale malts and a mix of Bravo, Cascade, Mosaic, and Citra hops. Clocking in at 0.0% ABV, it carries 5 mg Delta-9 THC plus 5 mg CBD.
The Tripleswitch lineup also includes lighter, cerveza-style sips that are crisp on a hot afternoon. It’s hop-forward and alcohol-free, and just the thing for the beer drinker who’s cutting back.
Keef Bubba Kush Root Beer
Best Dessert-Style THC Soda
Keef has been making THC sodas since 2010, and Bubba Kush Root Beer is the flavor that earned them a shelf full of trophies, including best edible at the 2015 High Times Cannabis Cup. It’s smooth and creamy, with vanilla up front and a molasses finish that’s rich but not heavy.
Each 12 oz can has 10 mg THC and no caffeine. Keef’s own serving suggestion is the right one: Pour it over vanilla ice cream and call it a root beer float.
Crescent 9 Grape Lemonade THC Seltzer
Best Throwback THC Soda
This one tastes like the mash-up of two childhood summer favorites, the grape soda from the corner store and lemonade from the stand down the street. Naturally flavored with fruit juice, the bright grape delight and the tart lemon finishes. Pour this pure throwback over ice, and it goes down smooth.
Grape Lemonade is available in 10 mg and 50 mg potencies. The easy social sipper is the 10 mg. The 50 mg is for high-tolerance drinkers only, so plan on sharing it or savoring it throughout the evening.
Howdy THC Ranch Water
Best THC Ranch Water
Howdy, from Houston’s Bayou City Hemp Co., takes the West Texas classic and turns it into a lime-kissed THC seltzer.
The Ranch Water has a low-dose 2.5 mg version and a 5 mg one, a light lift for long afternoons on the patio, the river, or the boat. It’s crisp and citrusy. Perfect for pairing with tacos.
50 mg Crescent 9 THC Seltzer Variety Pack
Best High-Potency THC Drink
Fifty milligrams in a 12 oz can makes the 50 mg Crescent 9 THC Seltzer Variety Pack one of the strongest hemp-derived THC beverages sold in grocery and liquor stores. It’s crafted for high-tolerance consumers who want a strong dose from a single drink, and it costs less per milligram than stacking lower-dose cans.
Relish Raspberry Lime, Grape Lemonade, and Strawberry Lemonade. Treat each can as a shared drink or an all-evening sipper. One ounce works out to about 4.17 mg of THC and two ounces to about 8.33 mg, so you can pour exactly as much as you want and keep the rest in the fridge. If you’re new to cannabis, this isn’t your starting point.
Uncle Arnie’s Iced Tea Lemonade
Best THC Iced Tea
Tired of bubbles? Uncle Arnie’s Iced Tea Lemonade is a noncarbonated, Arnold Palmer-style can with 10 mg hemp-derived THC per 12 ounces.
The California-born brand started in 2020 and added hemp-derived drinks in 2024; the tea-and-lemonade flavor is the one it’s best known for. A 2.5 mg version is available too. It’s the can to hand someone who says they don’t like seltzer.
Crank Cannabis THC Shot
Best THC Shot
Each 2-ounce Crank shot packs 100 mg THC, ten times the dose of a 10 mg can in a fraction of the volume. Flavors include Tropical Punch, a blend of pineapple, mango, and citrus, and Cotton Candy Lemonade.
It’s portable, discreet, and fast-acting, and it’s strictly for experienced, high-tolerance consumers. If you’re not sure whether that’s you, it isn’t.
10 mg Crescent 9 THC Seltzer Variety Pack
Best Overall THC Drink
If one collection had to serve every occasion, this is it. Each can in the 10 mg Crescent 9 THC Seltzer Variety Pack has 10 mg THC. It can stand in for a cocktail or a couple of beers at a party, ideal for those who occasionally consume THC drinks and have a medium tolerance level.
The pack includes four flavors crafted with real fruit juices and purees, landing between 40 and 100 calories: Raspberry Lime, Sour Watermelon, Ginger Lemonade, and Grape Lemonade.
Crescent 9 is the No. 1 selling THC beverage brand in stores nationwide, based on NielsenIQ data, and every 10 mg flavor has won national awards. With their tastes and ideal level of effects, these are our favorite THC beverages.
Where to Start
Choose the dose first, then the format. Are you new to THC, or swapping out a light beer? The 2.5 mg and 5 mg options are the place to begin, whether that’s with ranch water, a throwback soda, or a 5 mg seltzer pack.
Already comfortable with 10 mg? Seltzers, sodas, and iced tea all come ashore there, so let flavor decide. Advanced consumers can step up to 20 mg and beyond; a 100 mg shot lingers at the far end of the range. If you’d rather mix than crack a can, a spirit alternative brings back the ritual. A nonalcoholic THC beer refreshes too.
Whatever you choose, check the label for the milligrams per serving, look for third-party lab results, and give the effects time to develop before opening another. Cheers to finding your new favorite THC drink!
