WhistlePig 'High'Jacks Dry January With Terpene Cocktail

WhistlePig, a cult favorite whiskey out of Vermont, continues to put its unique stamp on Dry January by developing a terpene-based cocktail that leans into two trends at once—the explosion of nonalcoholic beverages and the American cannabis boom. The brand has dubbed its 2024 effort “Dank January,” saying it aims to highjack the month-long temperance challenge with “a salad bowl of superior ingredients” for a “chronic” booze-free experience. Fair warning: more stoner puns ahead. The limited-edition cocktail—a version of the classic old fashioned—dropped on New Year’s Day with a “one hitter,” a single 750-milliliter bottle, and a “hot box bundle,” which added a pig-shaped cocktail smoker and a “dime bag” of smoking chips. The initial run sold out in four days, and WhistlePig has decided to release another batch, possibly available by next week, according to Eliza McClure, vp of marketing, who said execs have been “blown away” by the response. “It’s the fastest sellout we’ve had” for a Dry January stunt, she said. “And there has been a lot of demand for our previous limited editions.” WhistlePig’s new product, though co-opting cannabis slang and imagery, contains no THC, is non-psychoactive and is fully legal nationwide. Its cheeky packaging borrows heavily from Reefer Madness, featuring a vintage version of brand mascot Winston the pig, who might be smoking a blunt, or it could be a cigar—it’s open to interpretation. Cali sober The brand is targeting fans who are drawn to the craft origins of its flagship whiskeys, with the limited-run NA product reflecting its small-batch approach and nodding to curated weed strains, McClure said. The terpenes for the old fashioned cocktail, created with partner Satori Premium Cannabis, come from cannabis cultivated in whiskey barrels. https://twitter.com/WhistlePigRye/status/1742993868423864582 The booze-free old fashioned may also appeal to the Cali sober, a term for those who swap out booze for weed, which McClure cited as a factor in developing the particular blend. She noted a 2023 report from CivicScience that found 21% of Dry January participants replaced alcohol with cannabis, a number that jumped to 34% for the 21- to 24-year-old demo. The mix of weed and beverages is becoming more mainstream, via bespoke invite-only dining experiences and media exposure like TV cooking shows. “We’ve seen in the bar space that mixologists are playing with terpenes and derivatives,” McClure told Adweek. “And we know how much interest there is in cannabis” as legalization continues to spread across the country. WhistlePig’s product isn’t to be confused with THC-laced beverages like Cann, Wunder, Mary Jones and Keef, which are sold only at dispensaries. Weed vs. booze Analysts at financial services firm TD Cowen call cannabis a “formidable competitor” to booze, though the legal weed industry brings in a fraction of the sales of the alcohol segment (roughly $33 billion versus $250 billion). But signs of the cannabis surge are widespread, with the potent combo of medical and adult-use weed sales in states like Colorado, Washington, Illinois and Michigan outpacing liquor in generating tax revenue in recent fiscal years, per Cowen. The limited-run booze-free Old Fashioned, made with terpenes, sold out in four days. Another run is coming. The data, in a study optimistically called Cannabis Beats Booze, also includes this noteworthy tidbit: Two-thirds of cannabis users say they have cut back on drinking. The two worlds will merge at some future date, with alcohol conglomerates already exploring ways to break into the cannabis industry. (The same is true for Big Tobacco.) But any real movement isn’t expected until after federal legalization. Per a Gallup poll from August, Americans consider weed less harmful than alcohol, cigarettes, vapes and other tobacco products, and a Morning Consult survey released in June had similar findings (participants thought cannabis was “significantly less dangerous” and less addictive than cigarettes, alcohol, technology and opioids.) Wink wink WhistlePig’s stunts for Dry January, in keeping with its irreverent year-round personality, have included a CBD-centric product and a partnership with Sunkist Growers for an “Orange You Glad It’s Dry January” promo. Culinary experts at the intersection of weed, food and beverage are closely watching the WhistlePig experiment, which gives proceeds to hospitality nonprofit Turning Tables. (The brand is "puff-puff-passing" 100% of the sales to bartenders, per its release.) Heineken 0.0 Says Don’t ‘Bale’ on the Party During Dry January Christina Wong, CEO and founder of Fruit + Flower Co, said that WhistlePig latching onto cannabis language and terminology “can help to educate the alcohol consumer” about weed. The brand’s old fashioned cocktail could serve as an intro for the cannacurious. “It’s even better that it’s non-psychoactive—it doesn’t have a THC stigma,” Wong told Adweek. “It’s like a bridge—a mid-step—for those who aren’t quite ready to embrace cannabis-infused drinks.”

Alcohol Industry News

WhistlePig 'High'Jacks Dry January With a Terpene-Infused Cocktail

The non-psychoactive, nonalcoholic drink sold out its first batch in four days

T.L. Stanley

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T.L. Stanley