Brands in the cannabis space have always had to find creative ways to reach consumers, as traditional advertising channels remain limited and companies are forced to build awareness through alternative strategies and grassroots marketing.
Now, hemp beverages are entering a new phase, moving beyond niche audiences and competing for space alongside beer, spirits, and other adult-use beverages. Compared to traditional beverage companies, hemp beverage brands still have limited access to advertising channels.
That’s where Next Glass is stepping in. The beverage technology company behind Untappd, a popular rate-and-review app for beer enthusiasts, is opening new doors for hemp beverage brands looking to reach engaged drinkers. Originally launched in 2012 as a way for craft beer drinkers to discover, track, and review their favorite beverages, Untappd has grown into a global community with more than 12 million registered users.
John Gross, Director of Strategic Business Development at Next Glass, says the platform has evolved alongside the way people discover and consume beverages.
“The app is primarily focused on the beer world, but as the drinker has evolved, so has our business,” Gross said. “We now work with distilleries and cideries, and, of course, hemp beverages.”
Today, Untappd allows users to “check in” beverages, share what they are drinking, discover new drinks, and rate and review products. Similar to how people track movies on Letterboxd or books on Goodreads, consumers use the app to keep a record of their beverage experiences while discovering what other drinkers are enjoying.
Bringing Hemp Beverages Into the Conversation
Gross explained that hemp beverages were added to the platform after consumer demand continued to grow.
“Our background is absolutely in beer,” Gross said. “We saw the user demand for adding hemp beverages to the community, so it made sense to respond.”
The company opened the platform to hemp beverages within the past year, and Gross said the category has quickly become one of the fastest-growing areas on the app.
The move also created a new way for brands to reach drinkers through a platform already built around beverage discovery. While major platforms like Meta have strict advertising policies around cannabis-related products, Untappd offers access to an audience already interested in discovering new beverages.
“We have a few million people a month using the platform and looking for what is new and interesting to drink,” Gross said.
That audience is valuable because users are already in discovery mode. Instead of interrupting someone’s feed with an advertisement, brands can reach people who are actively exploring beverage options.
A Mainstream Channel for Hemp Brands
Gross said Untappd’s age-gated audience and beverage-focused community make it a strong fit for hemp beverage marketing.
One of the biggest challenges for hemp brands has been communicating product information through traditional advertising channels. Many platforms restrict companies from directly discussing ingredients, cannabinoids, or product benefits.
On Untappd, brands have more flexibility.
“Instead of having to call it a magical elixir or a social seltzer that makes you wink, wink, nudge, nudge, you can say what the product actually is,” Gross said.
That could mean explaining cannabinoid content, sharing product details, driving consumers to purchase online, or creating campaigns that encourage discovery.
Gross said NextGlass has already worked with multiple hemp beverage brands on campaigns to connect products with interested drinkers, including direct-to-consumer purchase links and promotional campaigns.
Consumer Feedback and Discovery
Beyond advertising, Untappd gives beverage brands a peek into how drinkers are finding and responding to products.
Gross explained that the platform’s audience is not limited to hardcore beverage enthusiasts tracking every detail of what they drink. While there are certainly passionate users who document specific flavors, releases, and tasting notes, the community also includes everyday drinkers tracking the beverages they enjoy.
“Some people will buy a six-pack of Miller Lite and check one in and move on, and other people will check in all six and document it,” Gross said.
Similar to platforms like Reddit, Untappd provides a place where people naturally share opinions, ratings, and preferences around what they are drinking.
Turning Discovery Into Customer Acquisition
Gross said the most successful brand advertising campaigns are often tied to offers hard to ignore. Promotions tend to push users to try a product and perform especially well.
“People love a deal,” Gross said, pointing to campaigns where brands offered incentives such as buy-one-get-one promotions or free product offers where consumers only covered the cost of shipping.
One example is Cycling Frog, a hemp beverage brand that worked with Untappd on a campaign offering consumers a free can of product. Gross said in a campaign with Cycling Frog, the offer generated an 18% conversion rate among users who clicked through to claim it, compared to the typical 2% to 3% conversion rates brands often see.
Beyond creating a trial tasting, those campaigns can help brands build their own customer relationships. Once consumers opt in, brands can continue engaging them through email and other direct channels.
Hemp beverages are following a path similar to the craft beer movement, where a more knowledgeable drinker base helped drive innovation and category growth. As consumers became more interested in styles, flavors, and production techniques, craft beer expanded beyond traditional offerings and helped push innovation across the wider beverage industry.
While Untappd has only recently opened the platform to hemp beverages, early engagement suggests there is strong interest from drinkers exploring and sharing new products. With the category still evolving, brands have an opportunity to connect with consumers early and build recognition as hemp beverages move closer to the mainstream.
