Matt Swanson and Justin Hopf, founders of Sheboygan, Wis.-based Drinkin’ Buds cannabidiol (CBD) powdered cocktail mixes, originally didn’t set out to start a line of CBD-infused drinks. But when the friends weren’t sure what to do with the hemp biomass they grew during the 2020 season, an idea clicked.
Swanson, a United States Marine Corps veteran, and Hopf, who comes from a farming family, met and became good buddies while working at Bayer Crop Science. The friends decided to grow hemp biomass. Their first season was productive, Hopf relates. “But after we got started, the entire market kind of crashed regarding profitability.”
The dilemma sparked a conversation about how there was a lack of hemp cocktail mixes on the market. “We wanted to be an end-to-end company,” Hopf says. “There are lots of CBD products out there, but nobody really tackled the hemp cocktail mix end of that. That’s where we found a niche and directed our focus.”
With assistance through the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation, and the Small Business Development Center at UW-Green Bay, Swanson and Hopf went to work on developing a product.
Old Fashioned, Naturally!
Being in Wisconsin, Swanson and Hopf started developing a mix for the old fashioned, the Badger State’s quintessential drink. Developing a consistent and appealing liquid CBD cocktail mix proved challenging. They switched gears and focused on a dry powdered formula with a water-soluble…
