Cannabinoid drink brand Bimble has ditched its 12 oz. glass bottles, kicking off the new year by downsizing into 8 oz. slim cans that pack the same 25 mg dose of CBD, CBC, CBG and CBN, but contain less liquid and, subsequently, less calories.
The move was sparked purely out of necessity, explained Bimble founder Jay Moskowitz, after the brand received a call from its Worcester, Mass.-based co-packer last April explaining it could no longer produce the product due to the state’s laws around hemp food and beverage manufacturing, which it had previously, unknowingly, been violating.
Per Massachusetts law, it is illegal to add CBD to manufactured food and beverage products sold at retail because the compound is an active ingredient in FDA-approved drugs and is not a federally-approved food ingredient. However, THC-enhanced and other non-cannabinoid hemp-based products can be produced in the state as the former falls under the jurisdiction of the Cannabis Control Commission and the latter is an FDA-approved food additive.
Unable to find a new co-packer that could fulfill all of Bimble’s requirements – glass bottling capabilities, tunnel pasteurization, CBD emulsion and Kosher certification – Moskowitz began exploring which of the product’s original tenets he was willing to forfeit.
“I always try to take opportunities to problem solve the CBD drinks industry… and one of the things I realized was we’re all asking people to drink 12 oz. of liquid in order to get the same amount of CBD as a dropper full of tincture – that’s the most inefficient thing in the world,” said Moskowitz. “Especially with the [glass] bottles, people would tell me ‘I put the cap back on and finish it the next day.’”
Once the glass bottle is opened, the CBD begins to deteriorate; when the product is consumed a day after opening, it contains about half of its original concentration of cannabinoids. Another factor was Bimble’s audience, which skews toward an older demographic that often uses the product as a sleep aid, Moskowitz noted. The overall feedback made it clear that less liquid was exactly what Bimble’s consumer wanted.
The carbonated drink is made with raw honey, lemon juice concentrate and natural flavors in addition to the cannabinoid compounds. The new format contains 30 calories per 8 oz. can versus the 50 calories contained in each glass bottle. Bimble is now priced at $4.99 per can ($59.99 per 12-pack online) compared to its previous price of $5.99 per bottle ($74.99 per 12-pack).
In the meantime the company will remain focused on its direct-to-consumer business after pivoting online during the pandemic, with the aim of moving back into retail distribution by this summer, Moskowitz said. In 2021 the company announced it had signed a distribution deal with Horizon Beverage to expand its retail footprint into Rhode Island. At the time, the product was distributed to independent retailers across New York state. Moskowitz declined to comment on the brand’s current distributor relationships and retail footprint.
Alongside its move to cans, Bimble adjusted its positioning from “Chill Sparkling Drink” to “Sparkling Honey Drink” to better emphasize its sustainably-sourced Vermont honey ingredient, explained Moskowitz. He said given the restrictions on advertising CBD product’s online, generating brand awareness and getting cans in hands has been its greatest challenge.
As for the recent news of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now tasking Congress with CBD regulation, Moskowitz echoed similar sentiments of other industry leaders. He feels the industry is in the same place as it was prior to the announcement. Though he was critical that larger companies in the CBD food and beverage space did not rally funds for clinical trials studying the effects of CBD, he also offered a bit of optimism when it comes to the expected, continued delays in guidance.
“When betting on how long it’s going to take Congress to do something, I’ve never lost money taking the over and I don’t think this is any different,” said Moskowitz. “ In some ways, it’s good for companies like ours that are entrenched in the CBD business. We were not going to wake up tomorrow morning and get blown out of the water by these huge alcohol and beverage companies that are going to come out with their own CBD [products] and have millions of marketing dollars. It gives us more runway in some ways.”