Hemp Beer: The Ultimate Guide

With more awareness about hemp growing all over the country, many companies are trying to join the hemp market by creating new and exciting hemp-infused products. In the last years, breweries have been coming up with amazing ideas on hemp-infused beer. The hype about this product has grown to the point where some people are learning to use hemp flower for brewing at home, making their very own creations to satisfy their palate.

What is Hemp Beer?

Hemp- infused beer is alcoholic beer brewed with CBD, or cannabidiol. This is the non-psychoactive component in cannabis, which means it produces a calming effect on the user, rather than the “euphoria” produced by THC. Hemp beer is not actually brewed from the plant, but it incorporates different parts of it to give the beer an infused taste and aroma. Basically, the brew can be made with almost all of the parts of the hemp flower; leaves, nugs, seeds and even hemp extract are often used to give beer a more aromatic profile.

Hemp Beer Benefits

CBD is known for providing the body and mind with great medical effects, which is one of the reasons why it is starting to be used as an alternative medical treatment. Some of the conditions that can be treated with CBD are pain, anxiety, cancer, glaucoma, and acne. On the other hand, some may find in alcohol a way to relax and stay calm. Beer is considered one of the most healthy alcoholic drinks, due to the fact that it is all natural. Among its numerous benefits, beer can help protect your heart, prevent kidney stones and provide a great abundance of antioxidants. Thus, it is likely to find both beer and CBD effects enhanced when taken together. You can feel a sense of relaxation and reduction of stress when drinking a cold hemp beer. In addition, CBD has been found to counteract the effects of a hangover. For this reason, you may not even experience a dreadful headache next morning. Other animal lab test results show that beer taken with CBD can reduce oxidative liver stress and the neurodegenerative effects of alcohol. However, this does not mean you can consume hemp beer as a medical treatment. The effects of CBD in hemp beer are only reduced to a body buzz and a balanced mood. In order to get the best out of CBD, you would have to find other edibles and drinks that have been specifically produced to deliver such benefits.

Does Hemp Beer get you High?

Although hemp has become legal in many countries, it still has to meet certain requirements stipulated by each government. In the U.S., the production and distribution of hemp and hemp-derived products can only be done if the THC levels are below 0.3%. This is because marijuana, another cannabis plant that contains high levels of THC, is not legal in all states. On the other hand, CBD itself is not a psychoactive cannabinoid. For this reason, the only similar effect to THC you will experience from drinking hemp beer is a body buzz. Hemp beer will not get you high, but it may get you very drunk thanks to irresistible flavor.

Hemp Beer Brands

Thanks to the legalization of hemp, many breweries have started to add the plant’s parts to their recipes, creating delicious and unique flavors that have won several awards across the countries. If you want to know which are the companies that are changing the way beer is made, check out this list of hemp beer brands:

• New Belgium: this innovative brewery was founded in 1988 after a trip to Belgium, which inspired its founders to take the best of craft beers to Colorado. The Hemperor, the first hemp beer to be distributed in all 50 states of the U.S., was created by this popular craft brewery.
• Humboldt Brewing Co.: this brewery is the creator of Humboldt Brown, originally called “Hemp Ale”. Founded in Humboldt County as one of California’s first microbreweries, Humboldt Brewing Company has been providing users with innovative brewing techniques and an award-winning flock of delicious brews.
• Cool Beer: starting operations in Brampton, Ontario, this Canadian brewery was founded in 1997 and has produced multiple award-winning brews. In 2003, they launched the Millennium Buzz Hemp Beer, Canada’s first hemp lager.
• O’Fallon Brewery: this regional craft brewery from Missouri has created a delicate and balanced brew that integrated different local entrepreneurs for its production. As a result, Hemp Hop Rye is a delicious amber ale with caramel flavors.
• Goodwood Brewing Co.: located in Louisville, this brewery is home to a great number of craft beers that have taken the market by storm. The light and refreshing Hemp Gose is a great treat for the senses.

Hemp IPA Beer

If you want to taste a good hemp IPA beer, give The Hemperor a try. Crafted by the New Belgium Brewing Company, this beer uses hemp seeds in the brewing process, delivering an extremely dank. You will definitely feel the aroma of cannabis and the taste of the hops in this brew thanks to the rich terpene profile of its seeds.

Hemp Passion Fruit Beer

The exotic taste of passionfruit can be found in Passionfruit Express. This brew was created by Genesee Brewing Co. and is considered a malt beverage. Its balanced flavors of sweet fruit and herbal make this brew a great drink for a hot summer day.

Hemp Ale Beer

The California-based Humboldt Brewing Co. created an amazing Hemp Ale with toasted hemp seeds, adding a unique herb flavor to the dark malts of the brew. This Ale won a recognition at the Great International Beer & Cider Competition in 2014.

Hemp Gose Beer

Slightly salty and with a dash of dank this german-style sour beer is crisp, light and refreshing. The hemp adds a light herbal aroma and a nice finishing touch to this brew created by Goodwood Brewing Co.

Hemp Amber Ale

Crafted by the O’Fallon Brewery, Hemp Hop Rye is an amber ale produced with toasted hemp seeds to bring a smooth beer with a nutty flavor. With a taste that resembles caramel, you can also feel the rye and hops present, all elements blending perfectly to give you a nice, relaxed feeling.

Where to buy Hemp Beer

Although hemp was made legal after the signing of the 2018 Farm Bill, the Food and Drug Administration hasn’t allowed interstate distribution of cannabis edibles. In other words, it is still illegal to transport CBD infused foods or drink products across the state. For this reason, you will only find hemp beer in specialty stores depending on the state you live in. As of now, the only hemp beer you can find in all 50 states of the U.S. is The Hemperor by New Belgium. However, if your city holds beer festivals, you will most likely find several breweries offering creative and flavorful hemp beers. In fact, many small breweries like Dads and Dudes Breweria have found through these kind of events a way to promote their delightful creations. Moreover, they can even get to gain the approval from the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

Hemp Beer Recipe

If you want to get an overview on how hemp beer is made, Botany Farms has an article on hemp flower for brewing. Moreover, many users have shared their very own recipes on how to brew hemp beer. If you are new to this practice, you may want to start slow and then add flavors like hemp as you learn. If growing hemp is legal in your state and you want to taste the herbal and refreshing flavors of a homemade hemp beer, Sensi Seeds has a guide on how to brew cannabis beer to walk you through all the beer basics and teach you how to make the best hemp beer.