THC Drinks
The Best THC Seltzers in New York, Ranked
Five New York THC seltzers tasted side-by-side — ranked on flavor, finish, and how they hold up alongside dinner.
Photo by Connor Scott McManus on Pexels
THC seltzers are the format that made cannabis beverages work. They're portioned, they're carbonated, they're dry rather than sweet, which means they pair with food instead of fighting it. Four years ago the category was three fledgling SKUs. Today a well-stocked Hudson Valley dispensary has fifteen. We tasted our way through the current roster and put them in order.
The criteria: flavor honesty (does it taste like what it says?), finish (does it linger pleasantly or leave a metallic aftertaste?), carbonation (real bubbles or tired foam?), and pairability (can you drink it with dinner?). Dose was not a factor, all of these are available in multiple strengths.
1. Ayrloom, Black Cherry
Ayrloom dominates NY shelf space for a reason: the beverages are consistent, the flavors read as real, and the carbonation stays lively through the can. The black cherry is the one, tart-forward, slightly floral, finishes clean. Pairs with almost any food, holds up to salted snacks, and crucially tastes like black cherry rather than like a cannabis drink trying to pretend it's black cherry.
The 5mg version is the versatile buy; the 2.5mg is what we'd stock for a dinner party where not everyone knows what they're doing.
2. Tune, Yuzu Lime
Tune is the quiet overachiever. The packaging looks like a LaCroix designed by an art student, the carbonation is the tightest in the category, and the yuzu-lime is refreshing in the way a LaCroix is supposed to be but rarely manages. This is the seltzer we reach for on a summer afternoon when we're not thinking about the THC at all.
At 2.5mg per can, it's the softest landing in the category. Two of these over dinner is a reasonable evening.
3. High Peaks, Grapefruit
High Peaks is for the consumer who wants the cannabis to show up. The grapefruit flavor is the most assertive in the category, proper bitter grapefruit, no syrupy shortcut, and the 10mg dose delivers accordingly. This isn't a sipping-at-a-restaurant seltzer; it's a post-dinner, couch, movie-night seltzer.
The 5mg version of High Peaks grapefruit is the sweet spot if you want the flavor intensity without the fuller dose commitment.
4. Harney Brothers, Hibiscus
The locally-sourced pick. Harney's beverage line draws on the family's deep tea background, you can taste it, and the hibiscus seltzer is the most distinctive flavor profile in the current NY market. Floral, slightly tart, finishes with a faint tea-tannin note that we either love or find polarizing depending on the mood.
We're rooting for this one because the cannabis is grown in Millerton, NY, and the brand's thoughtfulness about flavor translates into the beverages. Sold at fewer dispensaries than Ayrloom or Tune, but gaining shelf space fast. See our Harney Brothers profile for the full story.
5. Weed Water, Lemon
Flat water with a twist of lemon and THC. This is a minority taste, flat water is hard to love in the first place, but the Weed Water lemon is the best expression of the format. Clean, mild, food-friendly in the way sparkling water never quite is. Worth trying once if you've dismissed the flat-water category.
The ones we skipped
A few seltzers we didn't rank because they weren't broadly available at Hudson Valley dispensaries as of this writing, or because they tasted off at multiple tastings. We'll revisit the rankings quarterly; brands that earn a spot will earn it.
How to drink these
Three practical notes:
(1) Onset is slower than alcohol. Give any THC seltzer 30–45 minutes before you decide whether you want another. The common mistake is drinking them like beer, you'll end up over-served.
(2) They hit faster on an empty stomach. Hold off if you want a gentler arc, drink with food if you want the drink to stretch across an evening.
(3) The 2.5mg options are not a trick. For a party or a casual evening, 2.5mg is the right dose for most people, not a light substitute. Don't stack three of them thinking they're weak.
Where to buy
Every seltzer ranked here is available at multiple licensed Hudson Valley dispensaries. Kingston carries the widest selection; Hudson and Beacon rotate. See our dispensary-by-dispensary guide or browse our directory for specifics.
Related: The Hudson Valley THC Drink Guide · NY THC Drink Brands Field Guide · Cannabis Drinks for Beginners