WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | APRIL 22 - 28, 2022 | 17
CITY LIVING CANNABIS CONFIDENTIAL
THE NEXT DRAFT
When new beer isn’t new enough ... Matthew Tota Special to Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK
Some of the cannabis-infused seltzers available from Good Feels in Medway. PROMOTIONAL PHOTO
Good Feels latest cannabis company to join the seltzer race Eric Casey Special to Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK
Cannabis in a can? It may just be the next big thing. Good Feels — a cannabis beverage company based in Medway — is hoping to make a splash with the launch of its line of fl avored seltzers, and is the latest local company to make the bet that consumers preferences will continue to evolve as legalization makes cannabis more mainstream. Cannabis beverage technology has come a long way in just the last few years. In the early days of legalization out on the west coast, drinks were not exactly sought after by most consumers. A lack of research and development in the nascent cannabis beverage world often resulted in drink products that tasted heavily of chlorophyll, with producers usually attempting to mask this taste by loading their drinks with sugar. The resulting concoction usually tasted akin to Gatorade with some grass clippings in it, and the eff ects would often be unpredictable in both dura-
tion and intensity. Thankfully, cannabis beverage technology has come a long way in the past few years, with Improvements in cannabis extraction and emulsion techniques allowing for the creation of cannabis beverages that don’t actually taste like cannabis. Perhaps more importantly, proper emulsion of cannabinoids in the beverage allows for the eff ects to take place much quicker when compared to traditional edibles, helping novice users avoid making the mistake of consuming too much. These features make beverages an ideal entry point for the canna-curious person who prefers a consumption method that doesn’t involve smoke or vapor. Beverages currently make up just a small amount of total cannabis sales in the U.S, but many are betting that will begin to change soon. Good Feels is one of a number of cannabis companies that is betting that consumer preferences will evolve away from tradiSee CANNABIS, Page 18
The urge returns, a mix of thrill and yearning. When willpower fails to contain it, I turn to guilt, which works about half the time. It is an impulse most craft beer drinkers have felt — the desire to go out and buy new beer despite already having a fridge full of it. It cannot be controlled by reason. It comes and goes like a nagging craving. And no matter how many shiny new four-packs you buy, the hunger for something fresher never subsides. Insatiable. Why do we do it to ourselves? We can’t aff ord it. We don’t need it. Another Friday afternoon where I’m planning erSee DRAFT, Page 18D
It’s hard to fi ght the desire to go out and buy new beer despite already having a fridge full of it. MATTHEW TOTA
