Private Label THC Beverages for Retailers
Launch a THC beverage under your store's brand. Start with an existing recipe for a faster launch, make it your own or create something completely custom.
We help single stores and multi-location retailers make, package, test and ship finished beverages. A typical first production run is about 1,200 cans for each flavor and dose.
Updated August 8, 2026
Yes, a retailer can launch its own store-brand THC beverage without having a finished recipe. You can choose an existing drink for the fastest path, change one of our beverages to better fit your brand or develop a custom product. We help with the recipe, production, cans and labels, finished-product testing, batch COAs, freight and reorders. A typical first run is about 1,200 cans, or 50 cases, for each flavor and dose.
1,200 cans
About 50 cases for each combination of flavor, dose and recipe.
Use an existing recipe
Choose an established drink when you want to spend less time and money on product development.
Price and margin
Plan around the delivered cost, shelf price, cooler space and number of cases each store can sell.
Plan the reorder
Track sales by store and order the next run before your remaining cases are too low.
Why retailers have an advantage in private-label THC beverages
Retailers already see what customers buy, what price they will pay and which products earn repeat purchases. You also know how much cooler space is available and which flavors or formats are missing. That gives you a practical starting point for choosing the drink, dose, package and shelf price.
THC beverages are also gaining retail interest. In research published April 20, 2026, NIQ reported $239 million in measured THC beverage sales over its latest 52-week period, up 135% year over year. NIQ also found that 50% of U.S. adults were interested in trying cannabis-infused beverages. Its research pointed to low-to-mid-dose drinks, liquor stores and convenience stores as important areas of adoption.
Sources: NIQ — The High Rise of THC Beverages and the Next Level Leaf THC Beverage Market guide.
A strong store-brand beverage is more than your logo on a can. It should fit the customers you already serve, the price they are willing to pay and the way they shop. It should also give your store a product customers cannot buy from every competitor.
Choose how you want to make the beverage
You do not need a finished recipe to request a quote. The first choice is whether you want to use an existing drink, adjust one of our beverages for your brand or develop a new recipe.
| Path | Starting point | Best retail fit | What happens before production |
|---|---|---|---|
| Production-ready / white label | Choose an existing beverage recipe and put your brand on the finished product. | A faster launch, a familiar flavor or a focused test with one or two products. | Choose the drink, flavor, THC dose and package. Then approve the quote, label, quantity and testing plan. |
| Private label | Start with one of our beverages and adjust it for your brand. | A retailer that wants more control over the flavor, sweetness, dose, ingredients or package. | Tell us what you want to change. We confirm what can be done, create samples when needed and help you approve the final recipe. |
| Custom formulation | Start with a new idea or a recipe that needs more development. | A retailer that wants a product that cannot be made by adjusting an existing beverage. | We confirm the idea can be made, develop samples, make changes from your feedback and prepare the approved recipe for production. |
Review the broader Private Label THC Beverages guide, learn how the white-label option works, or explore custom THC beverage formulation when your product needs a new recipe.
Which beverage formats work well at retail?
Your first product should be easy for customers to recognize and easy for store employees to explain. Good options may include:
- Seltzers and spritzers: light, sparkling drinks for social occasions and customers looking for an alternative to alcohol.
- Sodas: bold, familiar flavors that stand out in the cooler and can help balance the taste of cannabinoids.
- Lemonades and still fruit drinks: flavorful, non-carbonated options for specialty stores, convenience stores and adult beverage retailers.
- Mocktails: cocktail-inspired drinks for liquor stores, specialty retail, events and social occasions.
- Tea, cold brew and nitro coffee: ready-to-drink products built around familiar tea and coffee habits.
- Functional beverages: products that combine cannabinoids with carefully selected functional ingredients when the recipe and market support them.
The recipe may include THC, CBD, CBG, CBN or other cannabinoids when they fit the product and the markets where it will be sold. In many cases, a simple drink with a clear flavor and dose is easier to sell than a complicated recipe with too many ingredients or promises.
What is the retailer MOQ?
A typical first production run is about 1,200 cans for each flavor and dose, or 50 cases of 24 cans. In beverage manufacturing, each combination of flavor, dose and recipe is called a SKU. A second flavor or dose usually requires another batch, its own ingredients and labels, additional setup and separate testing.
- One flavor and dose: about 1,200 cans, or 50 cases.
- Two flavors or doses: about 2,400 total cans, or 100 cases, when each is made as a separate run.
- Larger and repeat orders: priced around the drink, total volume, packaging, production schedule and expected future orders.
A 360-can prototype run may be possible for some products once the recipe is ready. It can give you finished cans for samples, buyer feedback or a small test, but it is not the usual starting point for a full retail launch. If your store has enough customers and cooler space, a 1,200-can run may give you a better picture of real sales. Compare both options in the Low-MOQ THC Beverage Manufacturing guide.
Can one store support a 1,200-can launch?
It depends on how many cases the store can sell each week and how much it can store. You should also consider shelf life, promotions and the number of cans set aside for samples or damaged products. A 1,200-can run makes about 50 cases, so decide where those cases will go before placing the order.
| Number of stores | Approximate share of 50 cases | What to consider |
|---|---|---|
| One store | Up to 50 cases before samples, promotions and extra stock. | Make sure the store has enough storage and can sell the product while it is still within its planned shelf life. |
| Five stores | About 10 cases per store before setting any aside. | This gives each store enough product for a visible launch. Watch the first few weeks of sales and move cases between stores if needed. |
| Ten stores | About 5 cases per store before setting any aside. | This can work as a controlled launch if every store has cooler space and employees understand the product. |
| Twenty stores | About 2 to 3 cases per store before setting any aside. | This may not leave enough product for display, back stock and samples. Consider launching in fewer stores or ordering more cans. |
These examples show how the cases could be divided; they are not sales forecasts. A single store should estimate how many cases it can sell each week and how much it can store. A multi-location retailer should decide whether the order will go to one warehouse or directly to the stores, then plan for receiving and any transfers between locations.
Know the total cost before setting the shelf price
The price to make the beverage is only one part of the total cost. Calculate what each can will cost after production, packaging, testing and delivery before you choose the shelf price or approve expensive ingredients.
- The manufacturing price per can and case
- Recipe development, specialty ingredients and cannabinoids
- Labels or printed cans, trays, can carriers, cases and other packaging
- Finished-product testing and the documents for the completed batch
- Freight, liftgate or scheduled delivery, receiving and transfers between stores
- One-time costs such as label design, setup or recipe development
- Samples, discounts, promotions, payment fees and damaged or missing products
Retail gross margin = (shelf price − delivered cost) ÷ shelf price. For example, if the total delivered cost is $2.25 per can and the shelf price is $4.99, the gross margin is about 54.9% before discounts, damaged products, payment fees, taxes and store operating expenses. At a $5.99 shelf price, the same $2.25 delivered cost produces about a 62.4% gross margin.
Start with the shelf price your customer is likely to accept. Then determine the margin your store needs and the highest delivered cost the product can support. Those numbers may point you toward an existing recipe, fewer specialty ingredients, pressure-sensitive labels or a simpler package.
The THC Beverage Manufacturing Cost guide explains the main components that shape unit cost and total project cost.
Make sure the package works in the store
The package has to look good in the cooler, scan correctly at checkout and give customers and store employees the information they need. Plan for:
- Can and label: choose the available can size and decide between a pressure-sensitive label or a printed can. Make sure important information is easy to find.
- UPC or GTIN barcode: each product needs a valid barcode that scans correctly on the finished can.
- Case details: confirm the number of cans per case, case size and weight, case labels and any pallet requirements.
- Label information: include the product name, flavor, THC dose, serving information, ingredients, net contents, storage directions and other required statements.
- Testing and batch records: connect the lot code on the package with the finished-product test results and COA for that batch.
- Delivery: confirm the address, dock or liftgate needs, appointment rules, storage requirements and the person responsible for receiving the shipment.
Pressure-sensitive labels are high-quality labels applied to blank cans. They work well for smaller first runs and are easier to update. Printed cans can create a polished look and may cost less per can at higher volumes, but they normally require you to order and store more packaging.
How do you go from an idea to finished cases?
- Tell us about your stores and customers. Share the states where you plan to sell, number of stores, cooler placement, shelf-price goal and why the drink belongs in your assortment.
- Choose how you want to make it. Decide whether to use an existing beverage, adjust one for your brand or develop a custom recipe.
- Approve the final drink. Confirm the beverage type, flavor, dose, ingredients, can, number of products, quantity and target timing.
- Check the numbers. Review the total delivered cost, shelf price, margin, number of cases per store, storage and expected weekly sales.
- Finish the label and barcode. Approve the label or printed can, UPC or GTIN barcode, case information and required package details.
- Make and test the beverage. We produce the cans, complete the planned finished-product testing and organize the COA and other batch records.
- Receive the order and track sales. Place the product in stores, watch how many cases each location sells and reorder before inventory gets too low.
Plan testing and state requirements before production
Finished-product testing is part of making a retail-ready beverage. The plan may include potency testing and any other quality or state-specific tests needed for the product. Each finished batch should have a COA, which is the lab report showing its test results. The batch should also have a lot code and records that connect the cans in the store to those results.
Decide where you plan to sell the drink before approving the recipe and label. Rules for ingredients, THC dose, package language, registration, testing, age limits and allowed sales channels can vary by state. Use the THC beverage state resources to begin your research, then have the product and label reviewed for every market where it will be sold.
Plan the reorder before the product arrives
Do not wait until the last few cases are opened to place the next order. Track how many cases each store sells per week, how many are still available and how long it will take to order materials, make the next batch, complete testing and deliver it.
Reorder point = expected weekly case sales × the number of weeks needed for the next order + extra cases held in reserve. For example, five stores may sell 10 cases per week combined. If the next order takes four weeks, you need at least 40 cases to cover that time, plus the extra cases you want to keep on hand. Use the actual timing confirmed for your product and packaging.
Retail groups that need wholesale or route support can also review THC Beverage Manufacturing for Distributors and Wholesalers.
What information do you need for a quote?
- Company name, business type, store count and receiving locations
- The state or states where the drink will be sold and the types of stores that will carry it
- The type of drink, preferred flavor, THC dose and any other cannabinoids or functional ingredients
- The number of flavors and doses, preferred can size, label progress, barcode status and packaging choice
- Your target delivered cost, shelf price or gross-margin goal
- The expected first-run quantity, number of cases for each store, available storage and estimated weekly sales
- Target launch date, delivery address, dock or liftgate needs and any delivery appointment rules
- Whether you want to start with an existing beverage or develop a more customized recipe
Tell us what you want to make
Share what type of stores you have, the customers you serve, the drink you are considering, the states where it will be sold, your first-run quantity and your price goals. We can help you choose an existing beverage or plan a more customized product.
Request a Retailer QuoteContinue planning your retail launch
Learn more about private label, custom recipes, first-run quantities, manufacturing cost and different retail channels.
Frequently asked questions
Create a THC beverage for the customers you already serve
Tell us about your stores, the drink you want to make, the states where you plan to sell it and your shelf-price goals. We can help you choose the right recipe, first-run quantity, package and production plan.