Randy Reed on Cannabis Beverages

The cannabis industry has just begun to reveal what’s possible in flavor, extraction, and formulations in cannabis beverages. A new innovative product emerging from the West Coast is strain-based drinks, a trend that could appeal to the many cannabis connoisseurs who appreciate and adore the nuances of craft cultivars.

Randy Reed, Vice President of Scientific Solutions at Advanced Vapor Devices, brings experience to the nuances of manufacturing strain-based beverages as a multi-award-winning commercial cannabis scientist. Reed provides invaluable expertise in shaping the future of the cannabis beverage industry with his pioneering work in cannabis extraction and formulation, including the development of a patent-pending CO2 live resin technique. Notably, Reed's innovative approach resulted in the creation of Terp Tonics for California's Maven Genetics, recognized as the world's first cultivar-specific beverage.

There are significant challenges to maintaining consistency, quality, and scalability when manufacturing cannabis beverages. Having the right extraction system to preserve the essence of a strain-based beverage is essential. Reed explains that when going from the flower to extract, their patented extraction process can maintain the components from a molecular compound or chemical level along with the proportions– which is the most important. He also adds that his team had to provide chemovar characterization and preservation data to support his claims.

There's a reason why people use distillate; it's a lot easier. It's a concentrated, purified, singular ingredient. In contrast, the sweet entourage of cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and all the other lipids in a full-spectrum extract can be hard to control for consistency and scalability. New consumers don't have the sophistication yet to understand the differences and benefits, but eventually, they will.

Regardless of which extraction system is used, the cannabis industry needs manufacturing standardization to ensure quality and consistency, especially with such nuanced beverages as strain-based. Having a certified reference that all extractors use to calibrate against will start standardizing terminology so everyone speaks the same language.

Taking A Cue From Master Blenders

There is an art and science to protecting terpenes in extraction. It's tricky because terpenes are volatile and chemically different in many ways. They have different boiling points than cannabinoids, and when using solvents, they'll come out at various points and need to be treated differently to optimize the downstream formulation process.

Reed points out you can have more control over product development by fractionating off the extraction elements, separating them, and formulating them back in to create your desired end product. And with all the different fractions, you can create blends. And with the blends, you have consistency. 

This is how Jack Daniels maintains consistency and uniqueness to its brand. They have all these different vintages, blends, heads, tails, cuts, and fractions. Then, there's a master blender that goes in and blends to a specific sensory profile, a specific fruit flavor. They'll add water to dilute and ethanol to get the proof back up, and there are all sorts of techniques to obtain that consistency that we know and love as Jack Daniels. They don't just brew, mash, and go.

There's much nuance to producing a quality botanical product. It’s now possible to fully characterize the chemical profile of the cannabis plant, and then rebuild it using other botanically derived terpenes to create a synergistic effect. 

Sensory Science Takes Beverage Making To The Next Level

Sensory science has been used for years to make the best food products and can be utilized in the same way for cannabis. Determining what terpenes trigger cannabis likes and dislikes for a consumer is important in creating a successful product. 

Reed has been mentored by top sensory flavor scientists from big alcohol and CPG companies to learn the techniques, methodology, and value sensory flavors bring to product development. He uses sensory science to tease out and create batches and blends to produce a consistent cannabis-derived flavor profile that can continually be updated and benchmarked against standards.

The most skilled craft liquor and winemakers do a ton of blending to create a premium product. They combine the best of all the different profiles to create depth and a stacked flavor profile.

 "Leveraging the sensory science methodology, known techniques, and then rolling that into cannabis is something I've always been drawn to and used in my career." Reed said.

Which Strains Work Best In Beverages?

Not all weed tastes great; some yield better sensory profiles than others. You probably want to stay away from the cheesy, gassy, cat-pissy, skunky stuff. Also, some flavors and aromas don't necessarily translate to the beverage format. So, you need to be very intentional with your selection.

Reed enjoyed working with Maven Genetics on their Terp Tonics drinks and claims they were incredible partners because of their background as legacy craft growers. He said they were intentional about sourcing the right strains for their beverage line and killed it with the French Laundry strain.

"I'm really excited about the Pink Boost Goddess strain. It's the world's highest THC-V-rich testing cultivar, grown by Emerald Spirit Botanicals, and they are crushing the award scene." said Reed.

Can Terpenes Age Like A Fine Wine?

As the formulation scientist behind Terp Tonic's Peach Cream Gelato beverage, Reed tested his theory that terpenes age like a fine wine. When he popped open a bottle a year and a half after being bottled, he claimed the Terp Tonic was vegetal, peppery, piney, and had a fresh live resin sensory profile. One and a half years later, it still had those live resin notes. The peach that wasn't there when it was live, cured in the bottle, and it got sweeter; the pine pepper notes completely went away. It even had a touch of fresh lavender on the tail.

The idea that terpenes can age like a fine wine is still anecdotal. But it was enlightening to see how nice and stable it was, with no separation in the liquid or anything like that a year and a half later, added Reed.

The CO2 live-resin extraction process used to create Terp Tonics is a format for curing and aging that is just the tip of the spear. Encapsulating the cannabinoids and terpenes and then putting them into the liquid protects them from oxidative contamination or degradation. The liquid and carbonation protect the cannabis compounds because carbonation is acidic and inhibits the growth of microbes.

Terpene-rich gas is captured in the C02 extraction process and used to carbonate the beverage. Once you open the bottle, the carbonation liberates from the liquid and brings the terpenes out. It's an incredible sensory experience. The novelty lies in the carbonation and nano-emulsification formulation.

As the cannabis beverage industry continues to evolve with innovations like strain-based drinks, Reed's insights shed light on the intricate process of crafting these nuanced beverages. From the meticulous preservation of terpenes to the utilization of sensory science, Reed's expertise underscores the art and science behind creating a consistent and exceptional cannabis beverage experience - which is why we should keep our eye on the best legacy growers and master blenders.