Why hightail has been all about flavor from the start

When I decided to start a THC beverage company, the decision came down to one thing: flavor. 

I surveyed the landscape of existing products and didn't see anything that could credibly replace my nightly glass of wine. I wanted to make something TRULY delicious. Something adult, elegant, sophisticated and complex.

That's why I decided to name the brand hightail. I sought to define a new category. This isn't just a seltzer or a tonic, it's a whole new vibe. Delicious, indulgent, and lightly intoxicating like a cocktail, but nothing mock about it. Alcohol-free with just a little boost from hemp-derived and fully legal THC (plus CBG, which you know we're obsessed with: https://siphightail.com/blogs/news/why-we-prefer-cbg-over-cbd).

We set out to find the right formulation and food scientists who could make it happen. We spoke with many co-packers who promised we could be in a can and on shelf within 3 weeks. Just knock off an existing flavored water, slap a label on it, and you're in business. Needless to say, that was a no for us, dog! Our reason for being is to give the busy and overburdened their moment to sip in some fun. A sparkling water with chemicals in it wasn't going to cut it.

Flavor, Elevated

We moved on to esteemed flavor houses, but many won't take a gamble on a new startup. Enter Symrise. Described to us as "the Ferrari of Flavor Houses", they were our dream partner from the get-go. I'll never know why they took our call, but I'm SO grateful that they did! We began our work together in earnest. I had bold, novel flavors in mind and they were up to the challenge. They also were patient with me and luckily didn't punch me in the face, as I spoke at length about mouthfeel and delivering a truly sensory and pleasurable product.

Some flavors just worked. Strawberry hibiscus tea was fire from the start. They were able to achieve the most realistic bright, juicy, slightly tart strawberry flavor I've ever encountered. We played with the levels of black tea and hibiscus to get the balance just right, but we were done and dusted with this formulation after only an iteration or two.

Other flavors were harder.

The Weird One that Won My Heart

I wanted to do something a little weird to surprise and delight consumers. I had the look and feel of an espresso martini in my head but also wanted to bring in yuzu as a hot and burgeoning flavor trend. Enter chocolate pomegranate yuzu.

This guy was hard, but man is it worth it. After MANY iterations, we finally nailed the cocoa. Symrise was able to crush the aroma here. It smells of a fresh chocolate bar, but only the first sip really brings cocoa. Thereafter, the bright pomegranate and subtle citrus of yuzu take their time to shine. Most incredibly, we were able to achieve the mouthfeel of having bitten into a delicious piece of Belgian chocolate. Chef’s kiss (and still my favorite flavor).

The One That Almost Wasn’t

Raspberry Basil Lemonade nearly killed me. I originally wanted a lavender lemonade, but it felt overdone and too floral alongside our hibiscus. I'd conducted tasting events in Charlotte, NC and La Grange, IL (shout out to my home town!) Consumer surveys from those events suggested that blueberry lemonade would be the crowd pleaser. We tried and tried, but the blueberry was too sweet and was bringing ice wine vs. delicious rose.

It took months, and we eventually had to abandon blueberry altogether by the time we were doing our in-person sessions in Laguna Beach, CA. We made a game-time decision to pivot, seeking other fruits that might deliver more balance and interest. Peach was a bust and blackberry was too tart. Symrise raspberry though.... incredible! I was immediately obsessed, but the sweet-tart raspberry with the sweet-tart lemon wasn't delivering enough depth. We knew we needed something herbaceous to ground the drink and take it into evening. We flirted with rosemary, but it was too peppery. Mint was too toothpaste-y. Basil was divine. Thus, in the 11th hour, the afternoon our workshop was ending, and I was flying back to Chicago, Raspberry Basil Lemonade was born.

Why It All Matters

New consumers to the THC beverage category may be forgiven in thinking that all these drinks are created equal, and that it all comes down to dosage and price. But just like wine, coffee, or skincare, quality matters.  Ingredients matter.  Craft matters.

Most THC drinks are built for speed and scale.  We built hightail for experience — for people who care about what they’re sipping and how it makes them feel. That’s why we partnered with Symrise, and why we spent months perfecting every recipe. 

The result is light, refreshing, and eminently sippable. hightail is designed for you to enjoy throughout your evening. You can enjoy a few and never get over your skis.  No couch lock. No tequila meltdowns.  No morning-after regrets.   

When you think premium THC beverage, think hightail.  Flavor-forward.  Crafted with intention.  Designed with love, by moms for moms to empower you to sip in some fun.