Prebiotic tea company and cannabis

Jun 30, 2023

These local companies offer drinks that don't include alcohol

These local companies offer drinks that don't include alcohol

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These local companies offer drinks that don't include alcohol

Two Boston entrepreneurs are drawing on a traditional recipe to create a drink inspired by the flavors of their homeland. In Ecuador, horchata lojana is a tea made with a blend of herbs, including mint, chamomile, lemongrass, and lemon balm. Cofounders Nico Estrella and Juan Giraldo used that herbal tea blend as the base of Waku prebiotic tea.

Whole Foods stores in the New York City area started carrying Waku at the beginning of 2023. Estrella hopes Waku will be in Boston-area Whole Foods stores by the end of the year. For now, the beverage can be purchased directly from the company’s website, where customers can also find a store locator.

In Georgetown, Mass., the team at LEVIA is creating a new type of buzz with its cannabis-infused seltzer. At their local facility they extract oil from cannabis flower and then add the oil to flavored seltzer. LEVIA says it offers three effects in their three seltzer types: "Achieve," designed to give users energy; "Dream," intended to be relaxing; and "Celebrate," which is a hybrid of the other two. LEVIA is sold at select dispensaries in Massachusetts.