An Old Timey Buzz
Dad Grass and its retro vibes is embracing the new world of highs
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We are back from the holiday break! Between lining up interviews and simply needing time away from writing to refresh, I decided to take a two-week break from the newsletter during a time most of us were (hopefully) spending away from our phones and computers.
But now, many of us are in the depths of Dry January, a month I do wholly appreciate. (Check out the very first Saturday Sips issue featuring Athletic Brewing, the leader in N/A beer!)
The more that comes out about alcohol and its potential effects on the body, the more it is obvious many in the older generations need to reevaluate their relationship with alcohol. Gen Z is apparently doing a great job of that already, but don’t get me started on BORGs.
Apparently, Gen Z is turning to weed, and that’s today’s topic! (Here's a fun story by The Mercury News: Baby Boomers and Gen Z are turning to weed for similar reasons.)
I’ve been friendly with the guys from Dad Grass for a bit now, and their mission has always been cool to me since my dad always talks about how much stronger marijuana is compared to back in his days (the late 60s and 70s). Dad Grass started with that in mind, selling CBD joints, flower and gummies.
Now they’re dabbling in THC levels as well, including a new drink, which is absolutely delicious! But weed drinks are certainly trending up as people are looking at booze alternatives, so let’s check in with Ben Starmer, co-founder of Dad Grass. (Editor’s note: I’ve been wondering how these companies can ship THC nationwide. Well, apparently, because it’s naturally hemp-derived, it is 2018 Farm Bill compliant and federally legal.)
Getting buzzed without booze
The origins of Dad Grass are pretty great.
Essentially, it was Ben Starmer and Joshua Katz thinking that modern weed “gets you too damn high.”
They found the market to be severely lacking a high-quality, low-potency option.
“We kind of likened going to a dispensary as going to a bar that only serves martinis,” Starmer said. “Sometimes you want a martini, maybe you want three. But sometimes you just want a good Aperol Spritz or a light beer.”
So they started Dad Grass.
They rolled out the CBD joints, flowers, tinctures, and gummies with nice, retro-style branding that could take you right back to the 1970s… if you were there in the first place. The CBD is just enough to give you a mellow buzz.
In 2024, as more companies began to see the decline in alcohol sales and began launching and pivoting to N/A spirits and beers, functional mocktails and THC-infused beverages, Dad Grass also launched a beverage line, Leisure Drink.
The drink, currently in Yuzu Grapefruit Mint, has 3MG THC and 6MG of CBD. It also contains a host of other functional ingredients, including Lion’s Mane, L-Theanine and electrolytes.
“Drinks were always on the road map,” Starmer said. “Dad Grass has always been a really social product, and we’ve always built it as that. Drinks are the biggest embodiment of a social product to enjoy with friends, a partner, family.”
Starmer said the trend toward less booze is an exciting prospect for Dad Grass. They’d been watching the downward trend for the past six years or so.
It’s certainly not binary, either, Starmer said. You can go from a full ABV IPA in one glass to a Sierra Nevada Trail Pass - the stalwart brewer’s non-alcoholic IPA - in one sitting.
“People just want to drink less, and when they aren’t drinking, they want to find a responsible but delicious product,” he said. “But maybe they also want to find a beverage that makes them feel something.”
Starmer said one Leisure Drink is probably equivalent to one beer or a glass of wine, however, he notes that will vary between users. That analogy can help spread the word about the drink easily, he said.
“You can have a 3MG drink and still cook dinner and have it be delicious, have a great conversation at the dinner table and do the dishes and still feel 100% in control,” he said.
Starmer comes from a food and beverage background, so there was another key component he wanted to make sure the company nailed: flavor.
“Regardless if it has THC, if I’m making a beverage, it needs to be a really, truly delicious beverage,” he said. “That’s a huge responsibility, and we wanted to use fresh juices, natural extracts, and no sweeteners. It’s a bonus it has these great functional ingredients.”
Literary Libations
Hi readers and drinkers! This is Alyssa dropping in with your weekly(ish) drink and book pairing!
I’m coming in straight off the heels of my first read of 2025: The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai. This novel is highly lauded - listed on the NYT 100 Best Books of the 21st Century and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award in 2019. Let me start by saying I am a seasonal reader, similar to the way most drinkers are with their beer and wine selections - opting for light lagers in the summer, stouts in the winter, Sauv B in the summer, Pinot in the winter, you get it. While summertime is all about quick, easy reads, at this time of year when the days are too short and we are lucky to see the sun once a week, I love to dive into a chunky, sad, character-driven book.
And this one sure hit the mark - albeit “sad” doesn’t seem strong enough a word. This dual-timeline story takes us between present-day Paris and 1980s Chicago, where we are at the height of the AIDS crisis. We follow a group of LGBTQ+ friends as their community is wrecked by the disease, and see the long-term trauma following those who survived. The book is devastating and beautiful. I can’t wait to discuss it with my book club next week. As I’m also partaking in Dry January, I have been sipping on Recess’ watermelon mojito mocktail while reading in the evening.
I’d love to know: What are you reading to kick of the year?
Great Reads of the Week
As mentioned, I do believe most Americans need to think about their relationship with booze. A great way to do that is by comparing it to European cultures. One of the reasons I love alcohol is the history and culture surrounding most of it, and it’s one of the biggest reasons I love traveling — and that’s a great way to reset your mind to its consumption. He’s a fun guide to European drinking cultures from Inside Hook.
It’s no secret I was a big craft beer guy — I wrote two books on it, after all. But the culture surrounding it started giving me the ick in 2018, right around the time my Nevada Beer book came out. I still love great beer, but I’ve certainly distanced myself from the big craft beer consumer. (I do largely still love the brewers!) Anyway, Inside Hook, again, last year dove into “Is Craft Beer Cringe Right Now?”
I’ve mentioned my friend Joshua Bernstein before, but this time, he was chosen as a featured contributor to the New York Times. The Times interviewed him, one of the great beer writers in the world, in their “Times Insider” column.
What We’re Drinking
Maybe boring for some, but a few fun sober(ish) options:
I’ve been crushing bitters and soda (bitters are alcoholic, but you use so little it’s minuscule. Plus, they come in many fun flavors!)
Dad Grass’ Leisure Drinks truly are a pleasure to drink, but for me it takes about two to feel anything of substance (probably a two-to-one comparison to a beer for me.)
I was also sent a bottle of Babylon Spritz. Paired with some soda water, it is an incredible stand-in for Aperol.