Photo's Provided by El-Hempre
Website:
el-hempe.com
Hawai'i Distributor: Cherry Co
el-hempe.com
Hawai'i Distributor: Cherry Co
Fast-growing terpene-infused tequila cocktail brand El Hempe has been developed to bridge cannabis and spirits and employs botanical terpenes to replicate the nose of cannabis without THC in its tequila beverages.
Helmed by Tony Bash, former CEO of cannabis co-packer Form Factory and longtime VP for LiDestri Food & Drink, the team also includes former Brown Forman and LiDestri senior executive Joe Ragazzo who serves as Chief Revenue Officer, and LA-based Efrain Romo, who was instrumental in launching the wildly popular Cazadores Tequila brand, is Chief Marketing Officer.
“We’re extremely excited to break into the Hawaii market,” Bash said. “We already know the younger drinkers throughout the Hawaiian Islands will love our terpene-infused tequila seltzers. Visitors and tourists coming to the Islands will remember the fun and vibes of Hawaii and associate El Hempe with that experience.”
Helmed by Tony Bash, former CEO of cannabis co-packer Form Factory and longtime VP for LiDestri Food & Drink, the team also includes former Brown Forman and LiDestri senior executive Joe Ragazzo who serves as Chief Revenue Officer, and LA-based Efrain Romo, who was instrumental in launching the wildly popular Cazadores Tequila brand, is Chief Marketing Officer.
“We’re extremely excited to break into the Hawaii market,” Bash said. “We already know the younger drinkers throughout the Hawaiian Islands will love our terpene-infused tequila seltzers. Visitors and tourists coming to the Islands will remember the fun and vibes of Hawaii and associate El Hempe with that experience.”
Target Consumer Demographics
• Age: 25-45 years old
• Target on-premise vs off-premise
90% off-premise and 10% on-premise
According to Bash, “El Hempe is for people who are following their own path, proud of who they are and the group they hang with, yet are inclusive of others. We are an inclusive brand that welcomes everyone, of all colors and orientations. When you look at many of the large and declining RTD brands, the brand ethos is always sun, beach balls, pools, and the beach, generally, with people that look like they belong to a sorority – we are a little darker and you can enjoy El Hempe all year long – rain, snow or shine.”
• Target on-premise vs off-premise
90% off-premise and 10% on-premise
According to Bash, “El Hempe is for people who are following their own path, proud of who they are and the group they hang with, yet are inclusive of others. We are an inclusive brand that welcomes everyone, of all colors and orientations. When you look at many of the large and declining RTD brands, the brand ethos is always sun, beach balls, pools, and the beach, generally, with people that look like they belong to a sorority – we are a little darker and you can enjoy El Hempe all year long – rain, snow or shine.”
The Base Tequila
• Tequila supplier: Familia Orendain (NOM1110)
• Autoclave, Unaged
• Flavor profile: Clean, mixable, and not astringent.
The Terpene Profile
El Hempe uses the terpene profiles of the cannibis strains OG Kush and Durban Poison, however, the terpenes themselves are derived from non-cannabis plants. This is because THC or CBD in a formula will not be approved by the TTB. Bash explained, "We looked at the compounds that made up the smells and aromas of OG Kush and Durban Poison, two popular strains of cannabis, and matched those compounds using lemon, pine, woody musk, and other plants [from outside the genus Cannabis]. The compounds we use are patented because of how closely they replicate the aromas and taste profile of cannabis.” Bash does note “there is a the tiniest amount of hemp seed oil (HSO) in all our products (parts per millions) because the United States Patent and Trademark Office said we must to be able to trademark our name EL Hempe.”
For those familiar with hops, terpene profiles are also the significant aromatics. For this reason there is significant overlap between the terpene profiles of cannabis and hops.
OG Kush [1]
Primary:
• Myrcene (Sweet balsamic aroma)
• Limonene (Oranges or lemons depending on the isomer)
• Caryophyllene (Woody-spicy, dry, clove-like aroma)
Secondary:
Linalool (Floral, spicy, wood odor)
Tertiary:
• Pinene (Warm, resinous, pine-like)
• Humulene (Earthy, woody, and spicy, also characteristic of noble hops)
Durban Poison [2]
Primary:
• Terpinolene (sweet, piney, oily)
Secondary:
• Humulene
• B-Caryophyllene
• Myrcene
• Limonene
Common cannabis terpenes [1]:
Myrcene, Caryophyllene, Limonene
Common hop terpenes and hop examples [3]
• β-pinene: Zeus (CTZ), Crystal
• Caryophyllene: Golding, Fuggle, Nugget
• Humulene: Crystal, Golding, Hallertau, Liberty
• Myrcene: Idaho 7, Tahoma, Comet, Citra
• Limonene [4]: Zeus (CTZ), Centennial, Challenger
For those familiar with hops, terpene profiles are also the significant aromatics. For this reason there is significant overlap between the terpene profiles of cannabis and hops.
OG Kush [1]
Primary:
• Myrcene (Sweet balsamic aroma)
• Limonene (Oranges or lemons depending on the isomer)
• Caryophyllene (Woody-spicy, dry, clove-like aroma)
Secondary:
Linalool (Floral, spicy, wood odor)
Tertiary:
• Pinene (Warm, resinous, pine-like)
• Humulene (Earthy, woody, and spicy, also characteristic of noble hops)
Durban Poison [2]
Primary:
• Terpinolene (sweet, piney, oily)
Secondary:
• Humulene
• B-Caryophyllene
• Myrcene
• Limonene
Common cannabis terpenes [1]:
Myrcene, Caryophyllene, Limonene
Common hop terpenes and hop examples [3]
• β-pinene: Zeus (CTZ), Crystal
• Caryophyllene: Golding, Fuggle, Nugget
• Humulene: Crystal, Golding, Hallertau, Liberty
• Myrcene: Idaho 7, Tahoma, Comet, Citra
• Limonene [4]: Zeus (CTZ), Centennial, Challenger
The Flavors
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The terpenes and the tequila. Bash explained “Consumers are looking for more flavor and taste characteristics, our terpenes brighten the flavor taste. Terpenes on their own can be very strong and harsh – we spent two years in R&D getting the right mix of terpenes and fruit. Additionally, we wanted to use flavors that were trending – for example, hibiscus and tequila are being paired globally.”
Products All El Hempe products are sold in four-packs of 12-oz cans. Terpene Profile: OG Kush
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Terpene Profile: Durban Poison
Hibiscus
8% ABV 150 calories |
Hawaii Beverage Guide Perspective
This is an interesting product because it is easy drinking, well priced, yet the terpene profile provides a complexity that hop nerds would find fascinating. From a sales perspective, this can be a solid mover off-premise in certain locations, but also has appeal at concert venues and even at a craft beer bar for hop nerds who want a tequila based seltzer instead of a beer at that moment.
[1] leafly.com
[2] trueterpenes.com
[3] yakimachief.com
[4] hoohhops.com
* aromas from: pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[1] leafly.com
[2] trueterpenes.com
[3] yakimachief.com
[4] hoohhops.com
* aromas from: pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
PUBLISHED BY HAWAI'I BEVERAGE GUIDE