We recently connected with Justin Hopf and have shared our conversation below.
Justin, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?
We are seeing a strong desire for consumers to reduce or eliminate alcohol, but they don’t want to avoid the social settings that alcohol is usually associated with. So they are looking for and alternative, that’s where our new product line of cannabis infused mocktails come in.
Justin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
DRINKIN’ BUDS HEMP WAS STARTED FOR ONE SIMPLE REASON – TO ENJOY A FEW DRINKS WITH BUDS!
MATT AND JUSTIN MET WHILE WORKING IN WISCONSIN’S GREAT AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY. MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO, WISCONSIN WAS A LEADING PRODUCER OF HEMP WITH NEARLY 7,000 ACRES UNDER CULTIVATION. WITH THAT RICH HISTORY IN MIND, THE BOYS SET OUT TO GROW SOME AMAZING HEMP. JUSTIN’S PROPERTY, A ONCE QUINTESSENTIAL DAIRY FARM, MADE THE PERFECT SPOT.
AS DRINKIN’ BUDS’ NAME IMPLIES, AND AS ANY GOOD WISCONSINITE KNOWS, THE COMING TOGETHER AND ENJOYING A DRINK AFTER FARM-WORK IS DONE IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE GROWING OF CROPS. AND, WHEN IT COMES TO ENJOYING BEVERAGES, NOTHING SAYS WISCONSIN LIKE THE UNOFFICIAL STATE DRINK, THE OLD FASHIONED. DRINKIN’ BUDS COMBINED WISCONSIN TRADITIONS AND LAUNCHED DRINKIN’ BUDS HEMP CBD INFUSED OLD FASHIONED MIX – AN AMAZING NEW TWIST THAT IS SURE TO IMPRESS ALL OF YOUR DRINKIN’ BUDS.After the successful launch of the Old Fashione Mix, Drinkin’ Buds has added a Margarita and Bloody Mary Mix as well.
The next chapter of Drinkin’ Buds we believe will be the most exciting one yet. Drinkin Buds is preparing to launch a non-alcoholic CBD/THC infused ready to drink canned mocktail in early 2023. This product combines three of the fastest growing beverage sectors, ready-to-drink, non-alcoholic, and cannabis infused.
PROST!
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
When Matt and I started this journey our goal was to ow some amazing high quality WI grown hemp, and sell the biomass, I don’t think we believed we would be rich, but we hoping to make a little money and really have fun with the experience of growing a new crop that had been outlawed until the 2018 Farm Bill Passed. When is came time for harvest we realized that the market was saturated and the biomass prices had crashed.
We quickly shifted gears and decided we would need to become vertically integrated with a branded product for us to have any success. From this Drinkin’ Buds was formed, there were a lot of other CBS products on the market, but no one had tacked cocktail mixes!
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
For us growing clientele has been most successful by doing tasting or events. Whenever we can have people try our product they usually love it. We have done multiple events like Old Fashioned Fest, Margarita Fest, and Farmers Markets..
Contact Info:
- Website: https://drinkinbudshemp.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkinbudshemp/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drinkinbudsbeverages/