Since most recreational marijuana users are already accustomed to their cannabis coming to them in eighths, you could say that Houston’s 8th Wonder Brewery was destined to eventually form their own cannabis company. Today, what was seemingly preordained has finally become a reality: the popular local brewery has just broken the news that it has partnered with Bayou City Hemp Company to create 8th Wonder Cannabis, a groundbreaking brand centered around hemp, hops, and beverages.
The new cannabis-centric brand joins an ever-expanding host of local companies and hospitality ventures that are carving out spots for themselves in Texas’s cannabis-scape, which is expanding rapidly despite the fact that our state has some pretty draconian laws regarding cannabis still on the books.
“We firmly believe the future of the hospitality industry will feature cannabis quite extensively,” said 8th Wonder Brewery’s president and co-founder, Ryan Soroka, in a statement. “As stewards of the cannabis industry in Texas, Bayou City Hemp’s emphasis on innovation, quality and collaboration not only produces the best products, but helps normalize cannabis in a safe and trusted way.”
8th Wonder Cannabis’s first brick-and-mortar dispensary and consumption lounge, which will be having a soft opening on October 17, will be housed inside 8th Wonder Distillery’s headquarters in East Downtown. The budding new business plans to open additional locations throughout Texas in the coming years, which they hope will allow them to improve access to cannabis statewide.
The company’s first brick-and-mortar will carry a range of legal CBD- and THC-derived products, including gummies, edibles, pre-rolls, vapes, and flower, as well as water-soluble options such as additives, nano-shots, and seltzers. The shop will feature goods from popular cannabis-centric brands like Third Coast Blends, Mixer Elixir, and Leaf Life Wellness.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time the two companies have worked together. The relationship between 8th Wonder Brewery and Bayou City Hemp Company was kickstarted back in 2021 through a collaboration that saw them unveiling the first two cannabis-infused seltzers to be released in Texas. The two beverages, Delta-8 Wonder Water and CBD Wonder Water, are non-alcoholic sparkling waters featuring natural hemp-derived ingredients that have gone on to become best sellers.
Additional cannabis-infused seltzers have since been added to the line, including Bun B’s Trillionaire, Third Coast’s Beach Break, Mixer Elixir’s Rach Water, Botanical Greyhound, and the Blackberry Bramble. Cannabis-infused beverages like this will serve as the anchor products for 8th Wonder Cannabis as they expand throughout the state.
“Our partnership with 8th Wonder to launch Texas’ first cannabis-derived seltzer helped us truly scope the demand and opportunity for the canna-curious market through beverages,” said Ben Meggs, CEO and co-founder of Bayou City Hemp Company. “8th Wonder has established itself as a trusted name for quality and innovation, and we’re excited to partner with them to expand and further vertically integrate our businesses.”