Cannabrew Hops & Sunshine IPA

Cannabrew Ltd were incorporated on 9th September 2019 by semi-professional rugby player and stonemason Elliot Horner, in my old stomping grounds of Lancaster, Lancashire. Horner had previous experience in the beer industry, as he and his brother Lewis had set up a microbrewery in 2018 named Horner Bros, now sadly no longer in business. Nevertheless, their brewing knowledge has been passed back to the Cannabrew venture, which has a brewery and taproom situated next door to Lancaster University (another old stomping ground of mine). A taproom next to a university is sure to do good business, but Cannabrew’s twist may also be enticing a bit more interest from the students.

Cannabrew’s beers are infused with 15mg of CBD oil per can, and are marketed as drinks to help you relax. The addition of CBD to regular beer and non-alcoholic beer is nothing new; indeed, hops and cannabis were once the same plant, and there are many breweries in the states (such as Two Roots and Ceria) that have been tinkering with both CBD and THC infusion for many years. But this is the first such beer I’ve seen on the market here in the UK. Cannabrew’s alcohol-free offering is named ‘Hops & Sunshine’ and is an IPA. Considering the ‘grassy’ flavour of CBD oil, it makes sense to go down the hoppy IPA route in an attempt to not alienate those who are not used to the taste. Cannabrew’s CBD oil is sourced from Colorado, whilst their hops (Simcoe and Citra in this IPA) come from both the UK and the USA.

I’ve only had limited experience with CBD oil during recovery from Bell’s Palsy. I can’t say I noticed any effect. Cannabis itself though has melted both my mind and my muscles in the past. But as Cannabrew Hops & Sunshine IPA is a beer, all I’m really interested in here is the aroma, taste, and drinking experience. Cheers!

Popping open the ring pull on the can I could immediately tell this was going to be a lively one. Luckily I had my glass to hand, along with a roll of kitchen towel. The pour produced a huge head which meant I had to slowly feed the beer into the glass. The beer is amber coloured with a slight haze, and the head eventually settles into a nice frothy number, providing some lacing as we drink. On the nose we get grassy and pine aromas, along with grapefruit rind citrus and a juicy pineapple punch. Instead of hiding the CBD oil aroma, they have instead embraced it and enhanced with their choice of hops here – it’s smelling delicious.

On tasting there’s an initial fresh grassy and piney bitterness, which then is built upon with more bitterness in the form of grapefruit rind bitterness. Yes, it’s a bitter one folks! The citrus is zesty but doesn’t really add any juiciness here. The carbonation level is high which adds a bit to the body, with the mouthfeel being rather tingly. The beer remains bitter to the finish, which takes a while to fade.

Cannabrew Hops & Sunshine IPA certainly supplies the hops in abundance, though we may need to wait a few months for the sunshine to make an appearance. If you’re into multi-dimensions of bitterness in your alcohol-free beers, and are not averse to some possible health/relaxation benefits from the CBD, then you should take a look at Cannabrew’s offerings. The bitterness may prove too much for some though.

Buy Cannabrew Hops & Sunshine IPA

You might be able to try some of Cannabrew’s beers on tap if you’re around the Lancaster area. Otherwise, the best place to buy Hops & Sunshine IPA is online, either direct from the brewer or from other specialist shops:

Nutritional Information (per 100ml, taken from the side of the can)
ABV	0.5%
Additional nutritional information not given. Boo, hiss!
Ingredients
Water, Malted Barley, Hops, Yeast, Certified CBD Oil
Additional Information
Country of Production	United Kingdom
Brewer	Cannabrew Ltd – https://cannabrew.uk/
Gluten Free?	No
Vegan Friendly?	Yes