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Genesee brews up a hemp-related beverage

FIFCO USA

The Genesee Brewery will be making a product that might not seem to have a lot to do with beer. WXXI’s Randy Gorbman explains...

Credit FIFCO USA

The product is hemp, and it’s been getting more hype lately for various types of industrial and consumer uses.

Jennifer McCauley is a brand manager with FIFCO USA, formerly known as North American Breweries, the company that owns Genesee.

She says they are launching a new hemp-style flavored malt beverage, called  Hemptails that is made with organic, sterilized hemp seeds.

“It has 8 percent alcohol, no psychoactive ingredients and the product does an amazing job of embodying the smell and the taste of hemp but with flavors that are highly complementary to the, I think what most people describe as the herbal flavor of hemp,” McCauley told WXXI News.

She notes that hemp is used in a number of products now.

“You can find hemp in granolas; the reason why it’s disrupting so many different industries is because it can be used in such a great number different ways. It’s one of the most versatile plants that’s out there. It’s just gotten a very bad reputation because of its association, its close association to marijuana.”

Hemptails will be packaged in cans and the beverage will be sold nationwide.

Hemp and related products have gotten a lot of attention lately from the beverage industry.

Cannabis-infused beverages, and products like cannabidiol have been garnering a lot of interest. 

Copyright 2019 WXXI News

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's Director of News and Public Affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.