THC seltzers are the format that made cannabis beverages work. They're portioned, they're carbonated, and the good ones are dry rather than sweet. Four years ago the category was three fledgling SKUs. Today a well-stocked Hudson Valley dispensary has fifteen. Here's the current roster, in order. All of them are sold only at licensed dispensaries, to adults 21+.

The criteria: flavor honesty (does it taste like what it says?), finish (does it linger pleasantly or leave a metallic aftertaste?), and carbonation (real bubbles or tired foam?). 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. It tastes like black cherry rather than like a cannabis drink trying to pretend it's black cherry.

Sold in 5mg and 2.5mg versions; the 2.5mg is the lower starting point for anyone new to the category.

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.

At 2.5mg per can, it's the lowest milligram count in this ranking.

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 version is aimed at experienced consumers.

The 5mg version of High Peaks grapefruit carries the same flavor at half the milligrams.

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 and mild. 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 across multiple samples. We'll revisit the rankings quarterly; brands that earn a spot will earn it.

Label basics

Three notes:

(1) Onset is slower than alcohol. THC seltzers typically take 15–45 minutes to come on. The common mistake is opening a second can before the first has registered. Start low, go slow.

(2) Food changes onset. On an empty stomach they tend to come on faster; with food, more gradually.

(3) Don't combine with alcohol. The two stack in ways that are hard to predict. THC beverages are not sold where alcohol is licensed in New York, and they don't belong in the same glass or the same night.