Brez

Some brands succeed by confirming accepted notions of how the beverage market works – and some succeed by doing the total opposite. Consider Brez a leader within the latter group, as evidenced by its inventive and disruptive approach to slanging cans of low-dose, cannabis-and-mushroom-infused sparkling drinks. Under the auspicious guidance of its outspoken founder Aaron Nosbisch, Brez has done more than put up around $25 million in sales (per Nosbisch) since formally launching in summer 2023; Brez’s D2C sales focus, slick branding, creative social media presence and clear identity as a true alternative to alcohol has given it a distinctive edge amongst a rising competitive field, proving it a vital force in normalizing cannabis drinks. Its ability to, so far, effectively  realize even some of the enormous potential in next-gen functional beverages – wellness-minded products with real appeal across demographics and need states, that can look the part at a corner store or in Miami for Art Basel, and that, most importantly, taste damn good – is worth celebrating.