How Hemp Beverage Brands Can Win Consumers at Retail

Author: Pam Chmiel
July 29, 2026

Hemp beverages are landing on retail shelves across the country, but distribution is only the beginning. Brands need to create sales velocity or risk losing shelf space. Getting a product onto retail shelves is one thing. Getting shoppers to pick it up and try it is another.

A shopper walking into a store today may understand beer, wine, or spirits, but hemp beverages are still relatively unknown. Consumers have questions about dosage, effects, flavors, and formats. Many do not even realize THC beverages exist.

Bill Havle has spent nearly three decades promoting beer brands and supporting retail partners. After 28 years on the beer side of Constellation Brands, Havle joined Adult Beverage Solutions, where he is bringing traditional beverage trade marketing strategies into hemp beverages. The company, which started about 13 years ago after Molson Coors Beverage Company needed help with sampling programs, now works across beer, wine, spirits, non-alcoholic beverages, snacks and THC products.

This year alone, Adult Beverage Solutions has executed roughly 5,000 sampling events. But Havle says successful sampling is not about simply pouring drinks. “It’s not a modeling agency. We’re a selling organization,” he says.

How Retailers Can Increase Hemp Beverage Traffic

Havle sees many similarities between today’s hemp beverage category and craft beer 20 years ago.

Back then, consumers were comfortable with traditional beer brands but needed education around new styles, flavors and occasions.

“THC reminds me a lot of craft beer 20 years ago,” Havle says.

A retailer carrying one or two craft beer options was not enough to become a destination. Consumers wanted choices. They wanted to explore different styles and understand what made each product unique.

Havle believes hemp beverages are in a similar position.

“If you’ve got one or two packages, you’re not getting the traffic because you’re not a destination,” he says.

If retailers want to build the category, they need to offer more than a few THC products on the shelf. They need enough variety for consumers to compare formats, flavors, dosages and experiences.

A shopper may be looking for a low-calorie seltzer, a beverage with more flavor, a soda-style drink or a functional beverage. Without options, there is little reason for consumers to explore.

Going Deep, Not Wide

Adult Beverage Solutions has expanded carefully, focusing on building strong operations before moving into new markets.

Today, the company operates across 11 Midwest states, with additional expansion plans underway.

Havle says the company has intentionally avoided growing too quickly because a poor first impression can hurt long-term relationships.

“You can’t have a second first impression,” he says. “If we walk into a new market and our first few events don’t go well, you can’t go back a year later and say, ‘Hey, remember us?'” Havle says.

The Difference Between Event Staff and Salespeople

Havle acknowledges the challenges of staffing sampling events and says some companies treat ambassadors as event staffing rather than sales representatives.

Every ambassador completes comprehensive training on the product category, brand messaging, and customer engagement.

The company also sets clear onsite guidelines:

No sitting during events
No phones at the table
No eating while representing a brand
Professional dress
Active consumer engagement

“We hire people that can handle that,” Havle says. “When we hire somebody, it’s about selling.”

The company also pays ambassadors weekly, which Havle says is not an industry standard, but makes a difference in attracting and retaining stronger representatives.

“If you hire the best people, train them the right way and pay them promptly, that’s why we’re successful,” he says.

Consumers Are Still Learning

Retailers are relying on brands to educate consumers because many are still unfamiliar with hemp beverages.

Adult Beverage Solutions created educational materials that cover basic consumer questions:

How much should I start with?
What does five milligrams feel like?
How long does it take to feel effects?
Who should avoid THC beverages?

The company even touches on topics about situations where THC consumption may not be appropriate, such as individuals subject to drug testing.

“It’s really an education piece at this point,” Havle says. “We’re selling the products too, but education is the most important part.”

Getting Consumers to the Table Is Half the Battle

According to Havle, consumers who stop and engage at a sampling table are often willing to try the products.

The challenge is getting them to stop and explore products.

Adult Beverage Solutions has found success using simple tactics to encourage interaction, including branded giveaways, educational displays, and conversation starters.

Across nearly 5,000 events covering multiple beverage categories, ABS averages a 35.9% sampling rate and a 34.7% purchase rate after sampling.

THC beverages have performed even stronger.

The company reports a 39.6% sampling rate for THC events and a 46.7% purchase rate among consumers who sample.

“Once you get them to the table, they’re buying because they’re comfortable with the category,” he says.

Sampling Data Should Go Beyond Sales

One of the challenges with sampling is proving return on investment.

ABS tracks performance across multiple data points:

Consumers approached
Samples distributed
Purchases made
Consumer comments
Photos
Beginning and ending inventory

Ambassadors submit event details through the company’s reporting system, which allows brands to compare performance across locations.

The reports make it easier to spot patterns across stores and markets.

When THC sampling initially showed strong conversion but lower engagement, Havle looked at ways to bring more consumers to the table through better education and stronger interaction.

“That’s how you improve,” he says. “If it doesn’t deliver to the level we want, how do we enhance that?”

Timing Matters

Sampling works best when shoppers are already planning to buy beverages.

Havle says timing varies by channel.

For liquor stores, strong windows are typically late afternoon and early evening, particularly from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Grocery stores tend to perform well on Fridays and Sundays, with Sunday mornings and early afternoons being particularly effective.

Convenience stores often see stronger results Thursday and Friday afternoons as consumers prepare for the weekend.

He says sampling events are so much more effective when consumers are already in a beverage-buying mindset.

Helping Consumers Choose

With more hemp beverages competing for shelf space, consumers are facing what Havle calls the “paradox of choice.”

A shelf filled with unfamiliar products can create confusion rather than excitement.

A yellow sale tag or small rebate may attract attention, but it does not answer the consumer’s biggest question: Which product should I choose?

Sampling gives consumers an opportunity to ask questions, compare products and find what fits their preferences. They can learn the difference between a seltzer and a soda, understand dosage options and discover brands they may not have considered.

“I think sampling is such a key component because it gets you off the shelf,” Havle says.

Test the Partnership Before Making a Long-Term Commitment

For brands considering a sampling partner, Havle recommends starting small. Rather than committing to a large contract upfront, brands should test performance.

“Give us five events, give us 10 events, and we’ll show you what we can do,” he says.

He believes brands should look for partners who can demonstrate: