{"id":11008,"date":"2026-02-02T16:21:39","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T16:21:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabisindustryjournal.com\/?post_type=feature_article&amp;p=38392"},"modified":"2026-02-02T16:21:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T16:21:39","slug":"inside-iconic-tonics-vision-for-building-enduring-cannabis-beverage-brands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/inside-iconic-tonics-vision-for-building-enduring-cannabis-beverage-brands\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside Iconic Tonics\u2019 Vision for Building Enduring Cannabis Beverage\u00a0Brands"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0 5px 5px;float:right;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/inside-iconic-tonics-vision-for-building-enduring-cannabis-beverage-brands\/\" send=\"true\" layout=\"standard\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"false\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div><div><img src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/inside-iconic-tonics-vision-for-building-enduring-cannabis-beverage-brands.png\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A wave of infused beverage brands flooded the market over the last few years. Now, the sector has entered a period of settling and reassessment, as operators pause to evaluate the real opportunity and determine the smartest path forward amid ongoing legal uncertainty.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">While adult-use cannabis markets continue to struggle with launching beverage brands for structural reasons, states without adult-use dispensaries are normalizing THC consumption under the radar through hemp beverages in everyday social settings. Bars, restaurants, music venues, and event spaces are increasingly embracing hemp drinks as a familiar, socially acceptable option. Minnesota helped pave the way for normalizing THC consumption outside of dispensaries, and cities like Austin, Nashville, and Atlanta are following suit by allowing hemp beverages in traditional social environments.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">To understand how seasoned operators are thinking about the new year, I spoke with Evan Eniman, one of the founding members of Snoop Dogg\u2019s Casa Verde venture capital firm and a partner in the beverage company <a href=\"https:\/\/drinkiconictonics.com\/\">Iconic Tonics<\/a>. Iconic Tonics represents Snoop\u2019s Do It Fluid and Doggie Spritz beverages, as well as the Klaus brand from well-known mixologist Warren Bobrow. Eniman shared how the team is thinking about brand building, product development, and long-term strategy<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">heading<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">into the new year.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Your Story Matters<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The most common advice from branding experts is simple: tell a story.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Snoop Dogg\u2019s drink line<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">is built<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">around his decades-long legacy in cannabis culture. The Klaus brand\u2019s reputation in the cocktail world brings a different, but equally intentional, narrative to the portfolio.<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">As Eniman explains, \u201cIt\u2019s Warren\u2019s craft and his creativity around all things beverage that really stands out. His products<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">are designed to reflect<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0a true cocktail experience, using unique ingredients and pairing them in a way that tells a story. Every drink tells a story, whether it\u2019s about the ingredients, how<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">it\u2019s prepared<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, or who you\u2019re sharing it with.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Bobrow formulates products aimed at regional preferences, tailoring flavor profiles to the tastes, interests, and cultural references of each market. In New York, the Klaus line has performed especially well despite limited marketing support. According to Eniman, that success reflects how closely the formulation\u2019s sophistication aligns with New Yorkers\u2019 palates.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cI think about everything from the perspective of the user and the occasion,\u201d Eniman says. \u201cThe brand has to live in that experience with the consumer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h4><strong>Finding the Right Cultural Partner to Connect With Consumers<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">With traditional cannabis marketing heavily restricted, brands<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">are forced<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">to think creatively about how they reach consumers.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cWe look for culture fit partnerships as a way to connect with consumers who are already seeking these ingredients, formats, and experiences,\u201d Eniman says.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Those partners might be restaurants, live music venues, or other spaces where education and discovery about cannabis drinks can happen naturally and fit into social occasions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">For example, Iconic Tonics recently partnered with The Butcher\u2019s Daughter and its music listening bar concept, Only The Wild Ones, with locations in New York, Austin, and Los Angeles. They launched Warren Bobrow\u2019s terpene-only drink, Nein, to play into the non-alc movement taking over bars.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cTheir entertainment arm, Only The Wild Ones, made it a natural fit. Now the drink lives on the menu, and consumers can experience a ready-to-drink cocktail infused with botanical terpenes in a setting that matches the culture,\u201d explains Eniman.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">By embedding the product within an established lifestyle brand, Iconic Tonics can introduce consumers to terpenes through a more natural process rather than heavy, education-focused marketing.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>A Slow and Measured Approach to Market<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Many beverage brands are racing to market, prioritizing early scale and short-term revenue growth to satisfy investors. Iconic Tonics is taking a different path.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The company is intentionally moving low and slow, placing brand development and long-term relevance ahead of rapid expansion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Eniman has been observing and participating in the functional ingredients market since its earliest days and believes the category is still in its infancy. \u201cWe are barely scratching the surface of what functional beverages are,\u201d he says. \u201cThere\u2019s another 40 years of category building ahead of us, including infused beverages.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cThese are moments in time where real brand legacies<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">are built<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">,\u201d Eniman continues. \u201cThey are opportunities to change consumer behavior, routines, and expectations. Functional beverages represent far more than what we are currently seeing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h4><strong>The Tip of the Iceberg for Functional Ingredients<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Eniman sees terpenes as only one entry point into a much broader functional beverage ecosystem. While hemp, particularly THC, dominates the market due to strong consumer demand, it is also creating a pull for more differentiated functional products.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cMany hemp brands today are simply THC brands,\u201d Eniman says. \u201cThat\u2019s who they are. That\u2019s what they do. But when the landscape shifts, they realize they may not actually have a brand or even a business.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Iconic Tonics has been experimenting beyond cannabinoids with ingredients like kanna, a succulent plant native to South Africa that has<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">been used<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">for centuries for mood elevation and stress relief.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Kanna is part of the company\u2019s partnership with The Butcher\u2019s Daughter, where it is<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">being introduced<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">in New York, Los Angeles, and Austin. While still largely unknown to U.S. consumers, Eniman points to the significance of kanna\u2019s deep cultural and historical roots in crafting stories that help build brands.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cThese ingredients are similar to cannabis in that they\u2019ve<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">been used<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">for thousands of years in different cultures,\u201d he explains. \u201cThey\u2019re finally taking hold here, much like other superfoods that entered the U.S. market over time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">For Eniman, it\u2019s less about chasing market size and more about connecting consumers to purpose-driven consumption. Just as people drink coffee for energy or turn to adaptogens for mental balance,<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">functional beverages will increasingly be chosen<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">based on desired effect and occasion.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cThe size of those markets is unknown,\u201d Eniman says. \u201cBut the function of what you\u2019re drinking, the access to it, and the availability are shifting rapidly. That\u2019s what\u2019s exciting right now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h4><strong>Why Hemp\u2019s Strategic Advantages Are Hard to Ignore<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">For beverage brands, hemp currently offers strategic advantages that the regulated market cannot match. The ability to build awareness beyond state borders, access traditional retail channels, and experiment with formulation at scale makes hemp a more attractive platform for brand development.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Regulated cannabis beverages remain constrained by limited sales channels, fragmented manufacturing and distribution requirements, and operational costs that make true craft formulations difficult to sustain. Cold-chain challenges, additional taxation, and limited retail shelf space further constrain growth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Hemp, by contrast, allows brands to plan and execute nationally or selectively across key markets while reaching consumers in familiar settings like liquor stores, convenience stores, restaurants, and event venues.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cBeverage brands aren\u2019t putting serious money into the regulated cannabis space right now because they can build in hemp,\u201d Eniman says. \u201cIt\u2019s the same cannabis consumer, but with a much wider audience.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"559\" data-end=\"785\">In Eniman\u2019s view, the infused beverage category still has work to do on formulation, education, and normalization. Looking ahead five years, Eniman imagines walking into the same types of restaurants, bars, and lounges he frequents today, but with a back bar that features not only fine spirits, but also non-alcoholic and functionally infused THC options. \u201cI don\u2019t necessarily want an only THC experience confined to consumption lounges,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s not what consumers want, and that\u2019s the big shift.\u201d Creating familiar, culturally integrated, and purpose-driven experiences for consumers, wherever they choose to drink, is the future.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\">\n<div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing\">\n<h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this:<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A wave of infused beverage brands flooded the market over the last few years. Now, the sector has entered a period of settling and reassessment, as operators pause to evaluate the real opportunity and determine the smartest path forward amid ongoing legal uncertainty. While adult-use cannabis markets continue to struggle with launching beverage brands for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10962,5062,10784,6807,10802,9290,10963,10851,8568,9,8554,1,3,8734,61,1736],"tags":[10964,5063,10785,6809,10816,9295,10965,10852,8590,8576,8739],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11008"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11008"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11008\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11008"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}