Cookies is going from bud to booze.
The San Francisco-based cannabis cultivator and lifestyle brand announced Thursday morning that it’s entering the ready-to-drink cocktail market with Adios, a four-SKU line of beverages made with fruit juice and ultra-premium tequila.
Crafted in Jalisco, Mexico, Adios (5% ABV) will be available at retail in Lime, Spicy, Mango and Strawberry in 4-packs and variety packs of 12 ounce cans, starting in California on August 15. The product is available now for pre-orders and will make its public debut this weekend at the Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Former world champion Pacquiao will be representing the brand during the main event, as will Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa in an undercard bout.
“Cookies has always been about pushing boundaries and delivering quality. With Adios, we’re bringing our energy into the tequila space–my spirit of choice–something fun, authentic, and perfect for any vibe,” said Cookies founder and CEO Berner.
Adios is being pitched as a partnership between Labor Smart, Inc., (LTNC), a Florida-based company called CKS Distro, and D2C spirits vendor Flaviar. The tequila is sourced from Los Angeles-based Casa Rica.
LTNC is a publicly traded penny-stock company and former temporary staffing service that has shifted its focus to developing snacks and beverage brands. The company has a tumultuous history in recent years as it has undergone management changes and attempted to stabilize and grow portfolio brands like hydrogen-infused water NXL LVL (of which Pacquiao was a spokesperson and partner) and energy drink LOCKD’IN. At one point, the company’s ability to trade on the OTC market was frozen due to missed filings with the SEC.
Its deal with Cookies, which runs for a five-year term with automatic renewals, includes a long-term brand licensing agreement and shared ownership of the Adios trademark. “The structure aligns all parties for long-term growth, value creation, and category leadership,” LTNC said in a press statement.
Over the past year, LTNC has announced partnerships with spirits distributor Romano Brothers for Casa Rica Tequila and with Legacy Distribution for its LOCKD’IN energy drink.
In a statement, Scott Darnell, Chief Strategy Officer of LTNC, said Adios has 85,000 cases already committed, calling the product “more than a beverage – it’s a cultural launch.”
“With Cookies, Berner, Casa Rica, Manny and our national DTC infrastructure all behind this launch, we’ve built something that doesn’t just enter the market –it commands attention,” he said. “This is a generational play in the RTD space.”
LTNC also announced today it has formed a manufacturing agreement, effective immediately, with a Florida company called CKS Distro “to utilize Labor Smart’s manufacturing infrastructure to produce a range of products already in demand, with additional product lines expected to follow.”
Despite selling products ranging from clothes and personal gear to branded bongs, Cookies has only recently entered the red-hot market for THC-infused beverages, marketing a line of 10mg beverages produced by Green Monké at 5,000 national liquor stores such as Binny’s and Total Wine & More and convenience stores like Circle K.