You may be wondering, why am I writing a review about CBD seltzers on an outdoor recreation website? Well, because a healthy body is the most important gear for being able to recreate outdoors. After recovering from knee surgery, I found that taking CBD supplements helped decrease inflammation and provided pain relief in my joints. Plus, during Dry January, I needed an alternative to beer for post-ski tailgate sessions. So I’ve turned to the CBD seltzers from James & James as well as Oh Hi for a flavorful, fizzy fix.
James & James
James & James Craft Sparkling Hemp Beverage is a company based out of Longmont, Colorado. Their seltzers come with 25 mg of full spectrum CBD. They are non-GMO, caffeine free, gluten free, and pesticide free. It’s also non-alcoholic with no sugar, calories, or carbs. There are currently two flavors – Cherry Vanilla and Cucumber Mint that are available only in glass bottles.
Cherry Vanilla: This drink tastes like a sparkling cherry creamsicle! The color is an opaque white and the carbonation dances at the top of the glass. Drinking it, I can detect a slight flavor of hemp, but cherry and vanilla dominate the palette. It’s really delicious and I suspect it would be great mixed in a mocktail.
Cucumber Mint: I love mint. So when drinking this I actually wished it was even more minty. Overall this one is less flavorful than the Cherry Vanilla, therefore the hemp taste is a bit more forward. Still, the Cucumber Mint is an easy drinker that paired awesome with a salad at dinner.
Overall, both James & James CBD beverages hit the spot. I found them best consumed at home with dinner, or just for non-alcoholic imbibing for relaxing after a stressful day.
Oh Hi
Oh Hi come from Durango, Colorado. Their marketing says their drinks are “healthy, alternative, and delicious additions to the outdoor lifestyle. Guilt free, THC free, non-intoxicating (meaning no hangovers), with all natural flavors and terpenes.” Oh Hi beverages are canned with 20 mg of CBD and come in four flavors: Ginger Basil Limeade, Lemon Lime, Grapefruit, and Pomegranate. After trying them all, here’s my breakdown:
Ginger Basil Limeade: This has a very mild flavor, but the ginger and lime dominate. It’s actually really tasty and has much more flavor then a typical sparkling water like La Croix or Spindrift. I could totally see myself drinking cases of these during the summer months.
Grapefruit: by far, my favorite sparkling water flavor is Grapefuit. So I assumed this would be my favorite of the four. But I was wrong. There should be a lot more grapefruit flavor! Still, it’s not bad and I could see it being used as a mixer.
Pomegranate: Fruity, with a tinge of sour on the tongue and a nice sparkling bite. I like this one a lot and would totally keep some in the cooler for post skiing/mountain biking/hiking enjoyment.
Lemon Lime: My favorite. The flavor is zingy and smacks you up front. It’s also the most refreshing of the four. If I could only choose one, this is the can I would grab for basically any occasion where I’m abstaining from alcohol.
Where To Purchase
Neither James & James nor Oh Hi can be purchased in retail stores in Utah. Grand Junction, Colorado is the closest city where you can find both, however James & James can be found at Discount Liquor in Evanston, Wyoming. So your best bet is to order Oh Hi and James & James online.
Why CBD?
If you’re not familiar with CBD, here’s a look a why CBD beverages have become so trendy.
- What is CBD? CBD is one of the most common, natural compounds (“cannabinoids”) found in the Cannabis sativa plant. Unlike the other most common cannabinoid, THC, CBD has no psychoactive characteristics. Translation: CBD is 100% natural, safe, and will not get you high.
- WHY IS CBD SO POPULAR? By 2023, the market is expected to be valued at $1.4 billion, more than 16 times its 2018 size. As global research and surveys increasingly report, CBD has shown vast therapeutic and health benefits. Among the most commonly cited: reduced anxiety, reduced inflammation and chronic pain, improved sleep, and eased depressive symptoms. All this from a plant grown on the land, not a pill made in a lab.
- HOW DO WE KNOW? A new clinical trial conducted by CBD bioscience company CFH finds that a twice daily regime of 25 mg CBD and terpene soft gels significantly reduces inflammatory marker scores by 29.4 percent.
- WHY CBD BEVERAGES? Beverages have a quicker onset time and more efficient use of CBD than oil tinctures and traditional edibles because they use water-soluble CBD. This characteristic allows your body to absorb more of the CBD and quicker – delivering greater benefits and a stronger correlation and confidence with the effectiveness of the product.