Cannabis Beverages At Liquor Stores? Largest Wine Retailer In US, Selling $6B/Year, Adding THC To The Menu

Total Wine & More, often called “America's Wine Superstore” as it is the largest independent retailer of fine wine in the U.S., has been at it since 1991 when brothers David and Robert Trone opened a small shop in Delaware. They now operate more than 260 superstores across 28 states. The company in a cool $6 billion in revenue in 2023.

And now, it’s featuring a special drink for its millions of customers to try: cannabis beverages.

What Happened: Total Wine & More is partnering with Bayou City Hemp Company and 8th Wonder and will add their full portfolio of hemp-derived THC beverages to all of its 38 wine stores throughout Texas and all five Louisiana locations. Products available include HOWDY, Beach Break and 8th Wonder Cannabis.

Win-Win And Win For All Involved – And That Includes Consumers

"Our THC beverages are taking Texas by storm and this partnership with Total Wine & More is a major advancement in our mission to bring these products to the mainstream," said Ben Meggs, CEO of Bayou City Hemp and 8th Wonder. "These non-alcoholic beverages are widely sought after and we're thrilled to make them accessible to the customers of such an iconic and reputable company in the Lone Star State and Louisiana. In a short amount of time, our products have emerged as some of the top sellers in Texas Total Wines."

Bayou City Hemp acquired 8th Wonder, Houston's decade-old brewery and distillery, in 2023 to become a vertically integrated cannabis and craft beverage company. The high-quality product and science-based processes for extracting THC from hemp have made the company the gold standard for cannabis products across Texas and beyond.

Total Wine's groundbreaking move to introduce hemp-derived THC beverages to its customers provides a level of legitimacy to this new and emerging industry. This combined with Total Wine & More's already well-known values and consumer confidence makes it the ideal partner for this huge step forward in the THC beverage category. 

Expansion Throughout Texas

Restaurants, music venues, movie theaters, bars and even family-friendly bowling alleys have embraced cannabis, proving that hemp-derived THC beverages are quickly becoming the new normal. Over 1000 major metro retailers in the Lone Star State have embraced these products with open arms thanks in large part to earned consumer trust. Bayou City Hemp and 8th Wonder expect to see their footprint double over the next month as other retailers add the full portfolio to their shelves, menus, and bars.   

Nationwide Appeal

With placement secured in every major metro area across the state, the teams at Bayou City Hemp and 8th Wonder have begun to set their sights on expansion into new territories.

"Our portfolio of THC-infused beverages continues to expand due to the overwhelming popularity of our products," said Meggs. "Consumer trends have shaped the future of our brand and business. We adapt to meet the preferences of our consumers, which is why we are leaning into these alcohol alternatives and we're seeing massive success."

Courtesy photo