Regardless of where you come down personally, the industry consensus is near universal: cannabinoids, in some form or another, are a major part of the future of beverages – if only consumers knew how to best use them.
That’s the puzzle Matthew Murray is attempting to crack with Blaze ‘N Chill, his new line of hemp-derived 2 oz. shots that seek to recontextualize THC, CBD and other lesser-known cannabinoids within the familiar context of a function-specific platform brand. Currently availability on the company’s website, all six Blaze ‘N Chill shots feature a blend of cannabinoids and other functional ingredients balanced to deliver a specific experience: On the ‘Blaze’ side, there’s Matcha Energy, Lion’s Focus (with Lion’s Mane mushroom) and El Jefe, countered by the ‘Chill’ group of Dreamland, Take It Easy and Lazy Dayz. The names are meant to help shoppers better understand each SKU’s core proposition, while the bright color-wrapped packaging and icons for “Blaze” and “Chill” provide the visual appeal. “I really wanted to have something that wasn't necessarily like health and wellness, but could give you benefits at different parts of your day, whether it's on the ‘play’ side, with energy and focus, or the ‘chill’ side with relaxation and sleep,” Murray explained. But things get more interesting with a look under the hood: Blaze ‘N Chill’s recipes blend THC and CBD (or sometimes neither) with so-called ‘minor’ cannabinoids that users may not have seen before. Matcha Energy, for example, offsets its caffeine content with 10 mg CBG, while sleep supplement Dreamland features 10 mg CBN. THCV, intended to temper hunger and offset the “munchies” feeling, is in four out of six flavors. Why shots? Murray says versatility and ease-of-use were both key aspects as Blaze ‘N Chill encourages users to integrate each SKU daily into its related occasion, behavior that aligns with the company’s subscription model, though the brand is making headway at retailers in Maine, Vermont and Florida. He’s also eyeing white space in on-premise foodservice, where he envisions the shots being used in cocktails, mocktails and smoothies. After career stops at Oakley, Theragun (as the company’s first president) and most recently with women’s health product maker Love Wellness, Blaze ‘N Chill represents a personal project for Murray, and readers may know his wife, Hillary Murray, as the founder of Lumi Juice. For the founder, inspiration comes from long personal experience in using cannabis to treat gastrointestinal issues. “Tinctures and gummies and stuff like that are great. But to me that just kind of screams of those early days of recreational use of these cannabinoids and I'm not really interested in those formats. I want to put them in formats that people recognize, for people who maybe wouldn't have tried such products [otherwise]. And now they're hopefully going to feel that much more comfortable,” he said. BevNET Insiders can read more about Murray’s plans for growing hemp-derived shots later today. | 
