There aren’t many CBD beers available yet, but when some crop up, others are bound to follow. Finding the best CBD beers that are available now will help you set the standard—and understand what you’re drinking—ahead of breweries becoming inundated with their own take.
Table of Contents
- Why Have CBD in Beer?
- What Happens When You Drink CBD in Beer?
- Is CBD Effective in Beer?
- Will the Benefits of CBD Be Canceled Out by the Detriments of Alcohol?
- The 5 Best CBD Beers in 2021
Why Have CBD in Beer?
According to Newsweek, “One in seven Americans use it as an over-the-counter treatment for pain, anxiety and sleep problems. They have also turned to CBD for depression, muscle spasms, digestive issues, and skin ailments.”
For all the things CBD can help, it’s been given the chance to take on many forms of consumption. There are oils and tinctures, lotions, and a wide variety of edibles. From capsules to the recreational hard beverage, CBD as an ingredient has become seemingly unstoppable.
CBD offers a way to get a dose of calm collection, even in the face of booze. Some animal studies suggest that it could help block some of the potential damage brought on by overindulgence in alcohol, like liver damage and neurodegeneration.
What Happens When You Drink CBD in Beer?
As much as booze might loosen you up, it’s still a downer. Drinking too much beer (or any alcohol, for that matter!) can cause serious sedation that drags you to bed, or throws you on the ground into a soundless sleep.
CBD touts some of the same effects, though framed in a more beneficial way. CBD doesn’t have the same addictive and dangerous effects that alcohol does. Instead, CBD is likely to cause a similar type of sleepy sedation. Worst-case scenario, too much CBD can elicit nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth, or dizziness.
Is CBD Effective in Beer?
Adding CBD to beer has different outcomes depending on the brewery. While some brewers (like Coalition Brewing Co.) like to use the fragrant and flavorful terpenes of the hemp plant, others (like Dads and Dudes Breweria) opt for CBD for its antioxidant and neuro-protectant properties.
Will the Benefits of CBD Be Canceled Out by the Detriments of Alcohol?
There’s research that suggests CBD is most beneficial and bioavailable when it’s taken with fat. Given there is no fat in beer, it may not get the proper transport to the cells it’s intended to attach to. But according to CBD beer drinkers, the CBD does produce an effect.
We’re still learning and wading our way through determining all the effects of CBD-infused beer, but even the big boys are starting to get into the action—both Anheuser-Busch and Molson Coors are experimenting with their own cannabeers.
Stay ahead of the curve before the influx of CBD beers by trying the 5 Best CBD Beers that are already available.
The 5 Best CBD Beers in 2021
1. General Washington’s Secret Stash
- CBD per Pint: 4mg
- THC per Pint: 0
- Percent Alcohol: 6.5% ABV
Our pick for the #1 best CBD beer on the market today is General Washington’s Secret Stash. The fact that our country’s founding fathers were major hemp proponents—and growers—is hardly a secret anymore. And today, the government is ready to put aside outdated beliefs in cannabis as a criminal and usher in a new age of glory for cannabis and hemp.
While THC is still hotly debated, CBD has been legalized on a federal level, allowing all of the United States to make use of it.
CBD has been cropping up as a supplement and additive since marijuana got the green light to be used medicinally in 1996. Dads and Dudes Breweria was one of the first to cash in. They invented General Washington’s Secret Stash, infused with cannabis.
CBD may be experiencing its moment in the limelight, but it took a bit of work to get here.
The release of the brew was initially met with some pushback, but the company has been able to smooth things out to continue production, thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill.
2. Two Flowers IPA
- CBD per Pint: 5mg
- THC per Pint: 0
- Percent Alcohol: 6% ABV
Oregon is one of the most recognizably green-friendly states, and the Two Flowers IPA from Coalition Brewing Company is cashing in on their position. They saw the legalization of hemp as an opportunity for them to brew a new beer that continues to break down boundaries.
The hops and hemp bring the bitterness, while the terpenes in the CBD bring a touch of citrus. It’s altogether “light, crisp, bitter, and refreshing”—and just as fragrant as its name suggests.
Born in Portland, Oregon, there is a huge local pride that goes into this beer. It’s an amalgamation of the region’s hearty hemp production, blended by a brewing company that’s been very successful with past ventures.
3. Hemperor HPA
- CBD per Pint: 0mg
- THC per Pint: 0
- Percent Alcohol: 7% ABV
If you want to get on the hemp train but aren’t really sure the effects work well for you, you don’t have to be left behind. The Hemperor HPA (sic IPA) tastes like an IPA, with sweeter overall notes and a very light golden look.
There’s no THC or CBD, but it’s made with hemp hops. The inspiration is straight from the masses. People have turned to more hoppy beers in droves, and the resurgence of hemp has presented a new flavor profile to use. As an employee-owned brand, New Belgium Brewing liked the odds that a brew using hemp hops would be well-received. The result is this beer: a uniquely pale, herbal brew that smells like bud but tastes like beer.
New Belgium Brewing is originally from Colorado. Since Colorado became part of the hemp movement, it’s a no brainer for them to have introduced hemp into their brewing process—and they’ve done it very well. They plan to continue on this path and to create more great-tasting CBD-infused beer.
This particular brew is best for beer-drinkers who shy away from hemp and cannabis effects but are still intrigued by what it can do.
4. High Flyer
- CBD per Bottle: 10mg
- THC per Pint: <0.2%
- Percent Alcohol: 4.3% ABV
Though it may be surprising for the great western frontier for modern legal cannabis, the High Flyer by Green Times Brewing was born in Britain.
This session IPA has a far milder bite than many of its peers. Its aftertaste favors tropical and citrus flavors, as opposed to bitterness, and its alcohol percentage is more on par with typical light beers than strong IPAs.
But the low alcohol is counterbalanced by the hearty helping of cannabidiol, earning it a spot among our choices for the best CBD beer. The full-spectrum extract brings 10mg of CBD to each 330mL bottle. As with all full-spectrum oils, there will be trace amounts of THC, but not enough to cross-fade you.
5. Hemptails Hemp’d
- CBD per Bottle: 0
- THC per Pint: 0
- Percent Alcohol: 8% ABV
It may seem odd to find yet another entry among the best CBD beers that doesn’t contain active CBD. But there’s good reason.
If you prefer to err on the side of caution, then it may be true for you that CBD in beer just isn’t proven enough to be consumed with confidence. However, siding with safety doesn’t mean you have to be sidelined from the hottest trends, and Hemptails help you keep your cool and show your good taste.
Hemptails Hemp’d is a strong beer that’s infused with hemp seeds for flavor and aroma. Though the aroma is mellow, the 8% alcohol delivers a strong dose of alcohol in a 16 ounce can. Enjoy responsibly, as you would any other beer, without worrying about the potential sedation of CBD.
While it’s true that hemp is a major ingredient in this beer, hemp seeds are far less potent than hemp leaves. Hemp seeds don’t hold any of the active components that aerial parts of the plant do—meaning there’s no CBD or THC.
In fact, hempseed oil was legal long before the 2018 Farm Bill allowed for industrial hemp to be grown and sold. The sole reason is that it has no real effects. Its biggest asset is its richness in fatty acids, which can be good for the skin. Other than that, its nutty flavor makes it a great base for a salad dressing—and a wonderful, tasty addition to this brew.
