Our Pick: Nowadays
Check price →Nowadays THC Drink Review (2026): The Honest Look
Nowadays puts THC in a liquor-style 750 ml bottle and asks you to treat it exactly like a spirit: pour a shot, mix a drink, skip the hangover. We read the lab reports, did the dose-per-pour math, and checked the price against the THC seltzer aisle. Here's the honest look — what it is, what drinkers say it tastes like, who it's for, and the one November date every THC-drink fan needs on the calendar.
By The Kind Buds Desk · ~7 min read · Updated 2026-06-12
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Here's the pitch that made Nowadays famous: a 750 ml bottle that looks like it belongs on your bar cart, pours like a clear spirit, mixes like vodka — and contains zero alcohol. Instead, every 1.5 oz shot carries a measured dose of hemp-derived THC: 2 mg, 5 mg, or 10 mg depending on which bottle you buy. You make a margarita, your friend makes a mocktail, and the "buzz" comes from the hemp plant instead of the agave one. That's the whole idea, and it's a genuinely clever one — the ritual of a mixed drink, with a next morning that feels like a normal morning.
Why are we reviewing it? Because thousands of people search "nowadays thc drink" every month and basically nobody independent has taken a real look. So we did what we always do: we pulled the doses and prices straight from the brand's own catalog, confirmed they actually post their lab reports (they do — more on that below, because it matters), gathered what drinkers consistently say about the taste, and ran the value math against the THC seltzers everyone already knows. Quick disclosure, because honesty is the house rule: Nowadays didn't pay for this review, didn't send us free product, and doesn't know we're writing it. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission, and that never changes a verdict.
Two ground rules before we pour. First, this is a 21+ product and a 21+ article — THC is for adults, full stop. Second, hemp-derived THC drinks live in a legal lane that's actively shifting: federally legal under the 2018 Farm Bill today, but a new federal rule arriving November 12, 2026 caps THC at 0.4 mg per container — which, as it stands now, would end products like this in their current form. We cover what that means for buying in 2026 below, and the full story lives in our hemp THC ban guide. Nothing here is medical or legal advice — just the friend who read the lab reports.
The short version
- Nowadays is a non-alcoholic, THC-infused "spirit" in a 750 ml liquor-style bottle — you pour 1.5 oz shots and sip, rock, or mix it like a regular spirit.
- It comes in three bottle strengths, dosed per shot: Micro 2 mg ($39.99), Low 5 mg ($59.99), and High 10 mg ($79.99) — that's 33, 83, and 166 mg of THC per bottle, with roughly 16 pours in each.
- Drinkers consistently describe the taste as sweet and berry-candy-forward with zero alcohol burn — closer to a mixer than a whiskey, which is exactly why it works in fruity cocktails.
- The honest review point: Nowadays posts batch certificates of analysis on its own site, which is the #1 trust check we run on any hemp brand — they pass it.
- Value math: about $3.60 per 5 mg pour from the flagship bottle — competitive with THC seltzers per can, and stronger per serving than most.
- The November 12, 2026 federal hemp rule caps THC at 0.4 mg per container — as it stands now, that's an expiration date for 750 ml bottles carrying 83–166 mg, so plan accordingly.
| Product | Dose per serving | Format | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nowadays Micro Dose 2MG | 2 mg per 1.5 oz shot (33 mg/bottle) | 750 ml bottle | $39.99 | First-timers and featherweight pours |
| Nowadays Low Dose 5MG | 5 mg per 1.5 oz shot (83 mg/bottle) | 750 ml bottle | $59.99 | The social pour — our flagship pick |
| Nowadays High Dose 10MG | 10 mg per 1.5 oz shot (166 mg/bottle) | 750 ml bottle | $79.99 | Experienced THC drinkers |
| Nowadays Canned Cocktails | 5 mg or 10 mg per 12 oz can | 6-pack of cans | $32–$36 / 6-pack | Coolers, parties, no pouring |
| Cann Social Tonic | 2 mg THC + 4 mg CBD per can | Canned tonic | ~$20 / pack | If you want cans, not a bottle |
At a glance — Nowadays' tiers vs. the canned alternative
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Question 1 of 4
First things first — how do you want to feel?
01 · The Social Pour
The Flagship
Nowadays Low Dose 5MG THC Spirit (750 ml)
The bottle that made THC pour like a spirit: 5 mg per shot, ~16 pours, no hangover.
Lab report: Batch COAs posted publicly on the brand's certificates-of-analysis page — they pass our #1 trust check.
The flagship Nowadays experience is this bottle, and the experience is the point. The Low Dose 5MG bottle is a 750 ml, liquor-shaped, alcohol-free spirit where every 1.5 oz shot delivers a measured 5 mg of hemp-derived THC — about 83 mg in the full bottle, or roughly sixteen pours. You treat it exactly like the bottle it resembles: shoot it, sip it over rocks, or mix it into a daiquiri. The brand pitches 5 mg as the "social buzz" tier — made for relaxed evenings and low-key hangs — and that squares with what drinkers report: a light, steady lift that arrives fast (the brand says 10–15 minutes, thanks to fast-acting emulsified THC) and eases off around the hour mark, more like a drink than an edible.
On taste, here's the consensus, honestly relayed: drinkers describe it as sweet — berry-forward, candy-like, with reviewers reaching for comparisons like "dissolved berry Sweetarts" and "hard berry candy." There is zero alcohol burn because there is zero alcohol. That makes it less convincing as a sipping whiskey substitute and genuinely great as a cocktail base: the public consensus is that it shines treated like vodka or gin in fruity builds — daiquiris, berry margaritas, anything with citrus and ice. If your dream is a smoky neat pour, this isn't that; if your dream is a pitcher of margaritas that doesn't cost you tomorrow, it very much is.
One practical note for first-timers, straight from the brand's own FAQ and worth repeating: start with one shot — or even half — wait 15–30 minutes, and build from there. The 750 ml format makes it easy to pour like it's alcohol; it isn't, and 5 mg is a real serving for most people. The bottle's whole superpower is precision — use it.
- THC per pour
- 5 mg per 1.5 oz shot (~83 mg per 750 ml bottle, ~16 servings)
- Format
- 750 ml non-alcoholic THC-infused spirit
- Contains
- No alcohol; hemp-derived THC under 0.3% Δ9 (2018 Farm Bill)
- Onset
- Brand-stated 10–15 minutes, easing off around an hour
- Lab testing
- Batch COAs posted publicly on the brand's site
- Shipping
- DTC within the US to permitting states; 21+ ID check required
What we like
- Measured 5 mg per pour — precise dosing alcohol can never offer
- Batch COAs posted publicly — passes the #1 hemp trust check
- Mixes like vodka in fruity cocktails; no alcohol, no hangover
- ~16 pours per bottle works out to roughly $3.60 per serving
- Fast onset for a THC drink — closer to a cocktail than an edible
Worth noting
- Sweet, berry-candy profile — not a dry-spirit experience
- $59.99 upfront is a bigger swing than a six-pack
- Hemp rules vary by state, and the Nov 12, 2026 federal cap looms
Who should buy it: Buy the 5MG bottle if you're alcohol-curious-in-reverse: you like the ritual of a real drink — the bottle, the pour, the cocktail — but you're done with what alcohol charges for it. It's the right tier for people with a little THC experience who want a social, sessionable pour, for the host who wants to mix actual cocktails at a hangout, and for anyone doing the math on $3.60 per serving versus a seltzer habit. If you've never touched THC at all, start with the 2 mg Micro Dose bottle instead and grow into this one.
What we don't like: The sweetness is the honest gripe: drinkers who want a dry, spirit-like character report a candy-forward profile that needs citrus or soda to balance, and there's no version of this that scratches a neat-whiskey itch. Sixty dollars is also real money — fair per serving, but a bigger upfront swing than a six-pack. And the elephant in the room isn't the brand's fault: the November 12, 2026 federal rule, as it stands now, caps THC at 0.4 mg per container, which makes an 83 mg bottle a category on a timer.
Bottom line: This is the bottle to start with and the one we'd put on the bar cart. Five milligrams per 1.5 oz shot is the sweet spot of the lineup — a genuinely social amount of THC in a pour that mixes like vodka and tastes like berry candy. With about 16 pours per bottle it works out to roughly $3.60 a serving, the brand posts its lab reports, and the whole experience is built around the one promise alcohol can't make: no hangover.
02 · Experienced THC Drinkers
Nowadays High Dose 10MG THC Spirit (750 ml)
The same bottle with the volume turned up: 10 mg per shot, strictly for seasoned THC drinkers.
Lab report: Same public batch-COA program as the rest of the line — lab reports posted on the brand's site.
Same idea, twice the signal. The High Dose 10MG bottle is the strongest tier of the Nowadays spirit line: 10 mg of hemp-derived THC per 1.5 oz shot, 166 mg across the 750 ml bottle. The pour, the mixability, the candy-sweet berry profile, the posted lab reports — all identical to the flagship. What changes is the social math: 10 mg in one quick pour is a level most casual drinkers would describe as a genuinely strong evening, and the brand is upfront that this bottle is built for experienced THC consumers chasing its most uplifting tier.
Where this tier genuinely earns its place: hosts who batch cocktails for THC-experienced friends and want one shot per glass instead of two, and seasoned drinkers for whom 5 mg reads as background music. The brand's own first-timer guidance applies double here — half a shot, wait 15–30 minutes, build from there. The bottle gives you the measuring tools; the discipline is bring-your-own.
- THC per pour
- 10 mg per 1.5 oz shot (~166 mg per 750 ml bottle, ~16 servings)
- Format
- 750 ml non-alcoholic THC-infused spirit
- Contains
- No alcohol; hemp-derived THC under 0.3% Δ9 (2018 Farm Bill)
- Onset
- Brand-stated 10–15 minutes, easing off around an hour
- Lab testing
- Batch COAs posted publicly on the brand's site
- Shipping
- DTC within the US to permitting states; 21+ ID check required
What we like
- Best dollars-per-milligram in the Nowadays lineup (~$0.48/mg)
- One-shot dosing for experienced drinkers — no double pours needed
- Same posted-COA transparency as the flagship
- Identical mixability — batches strong cocktails cleanly
Worth noting
- Strictly not a beginner bottle — 10 mg per casual pour is a lot
- Highest upfront price in the line at $79.99
- Most exposed to the Nov 12, 2026 per-container THC cap
Who should buy it: Buy the 10MG bottle only if you already know your THC tolerance and 5 mg per drink feels quiet to you. It's the value play per milligram, the efficient choice for batching drinks for an experienced crowd, and the brand's own "most uplifting" tier. If you're new to THC drinks — or buying your first Nowadays — start lower; this is the graduation bottle.
What we don't like: It's the easiest bottle in the lineup to oversend with, precisely because pouring feels so casual — a generous shot here is a 12–13 mg serving before you've thought about it. Eighty dollars is also the biggest ticket in the line, and the same sweetness critique applies. And the November 12, 2026 federal container cap hangs over this bottle more than any other: 166 mg per container versus a proposed 0.4 mg limit isn't a gray area.
Bottom line: Everything the 5MG bottle is, doubled per pour: 10 mg per 1.5 oz shot, 166 mg across the bottle. The brand itself frames this as its tier for experienced THC users, and we'd hold that line firmly — one shot here equals two of the flagship's. For seasoned drinkers it's the best dollars-per-milligram in the lineup; for everyone else it's the bottle to graduate to, not start with.
03 · If You Want Cans, Not a Bottle
Cann Social Tonic
The category's gateway can: 2 mg THC + 4 mg CBD, light, fizzy, and impossible to overdo.
Lab report: Lab-tested; Cann is one of the category's most established brands with published testing.
Not everyone wants to play bartender — and that's the honest case for skipping the bottle. Cann Social Tonic is the original mainstream THC drink: a slim, lightly fizzy can carrying 2 mg of THC and 4 mg of CBD, designed to be drunk like a beer rather than poured like a spirit. Where Nowadays asks you to measure, mix, and respect a 750 ml bottle, Cann asks you to open a can. Drinkers describe the experience as the lightest touch in the category — a gentle, social lift roughly in light-beer territory, which is exactly why it became the default first THC drink for so many people.
Trade-offs, honestly: 2 mg per can means experienced THC drinkers will go through several to find their level, which erodes the price advantage fast — Cann is the gateway, not the destination, for heavier sessions. And as a hemp-lane canned product it lives under the same shifting state rules and the same looming November 2026 federal cap as everything else in this review. For a first toe in the THC-drink water, though, it's still the easiest yes in the category.
- Dose per can
- 2 mg THC + 4 mg CBD
- Format
- Canned social tonic (drink-as-is)
- Contains
- No alcohol; hemp-derived THC in the DTC version
- Lab testing
- Lab-tested; established category-leading brand
What we like
- The can is the dose — built-in portion control, zero ceremony
- Gentlest mainstream entry point at 2 mg THC + 4 mg CBD
- ~$20 pack price is a low-stakes first try
- Category pioneer with a long public track record
Worth noting
- 2 mg per can is too light for experienced THC drinkers
- Per-milligram cost beats nobody once you're drinking multiples
Who should buy it: Buy Cann if you're THC-drink-curious but the idea of a $60–80 bottle feels like a commitment, if you want grab-a-can simplicity at a party, or if 2 mg sounds like exactly enough. It's the lowest-stakes way to learn what a light THC lift feels like — and the natural can-shaped counterpart to everything the Nowadays bottle does.
What we don't like: The dose ceiling is the whole critique: at 2 mg per can, anyone past the beginner stage is drinking three cans to match one Nowadays 5 mg pour, and the per-milligram math gets unflattering quickly. The CBD-forward blend also makes the effect deliberately mellow — great for newcomers, underwhelming for seasoned drinkers.
Bottom line: An independent review recommends alternatives, so here's ours: if the bottle-and-pour ritual isn't your thing, Cann Social Tonic is the can we'd hand you instead. At 2 mg THC plus 4 mg CBD per slim can it's the gentlest mainstream THC drink there is — the one that built the "social tonic" category — and a pack runs about a third of a Nowadays bottle. Different tool, same no-hangover job.
How we chose
We verify before we write. Every dose, price, and product fact in this review was pulled from Nowadays' own live catalog and FAQ on the day of writing — not from a press release, and not from memory. Where we describe taste and feel, we say so plainly and lean on the public consensus of people who've actually been drinking it, because we'd rather quote a hundred drinkers honestly than invent a tasting note.
The trust check comes first. Our #1 test for any hemp brand is whether they publish third-party certificates of analysis — the lab reports that prove what's actually in the bottle. Nowadays maintains a public COA page covering its manufacturing batches, and that's worth more than any flavor description. A brand that shows you the lab work is treating you like an adult.
And we stay independent. Nowadays didn't pay for this review and doesn't know it exists; the alternative pick below is a competitor, which should tell you how we work. No health claims, no medical advice, 21+ only — experiential, lawful language is the whole house style.
Key terms
- Nano-emulsified ("fast-acting") THC
- A way of processing THC into droplets small enough to disperse in water, which is how a drink can come on in 10–15 minutes instead of the hour-plus an edible takes. It's why THC drinks behave socially like drinks — you can feel where you are before deciding on round two.
- Mg per serving
- The number that actually matters on any THC drink. For Nowadays bottles the serving is a 1.5 oz shot (2, 5, or 10 mg depending on the bottle); for cans, the can is the serving. Read this the way you'd read ABV on a beer — it's the strength label.
- Session drinking
- Plain speak for an evening of steady, repeated drinks rather than one and done. Low-dose THC drinks (2–5 mg) are built for sessions the way light beer is; 10 mg pours are not. Knowing which kind of evening you're having is most of the dosing wisdom.
- The 0.4 mg container cap
- The heart of the federal hemp provision effective November 12, 2026: legal hemp products may carry no more than 0.4 mg of total THC per container. Today's THC drinks carry 2–166 mg per container, so as it stands now the rule would end the category in its current form — see our hemp ban guide for the live status.
Questions, answered
Is Nowadays legal?
Today, yes — federally. Nowadays is made with hemp-derived THC and stays under the 0.3% delta-9 threshold that the 2018 Farm Bill uses to define legal hemp, and the brand posts batch lab reports verifying it. The two caveats: states layer their own rules on top, so availability varies by state — and the federal provision arriving November 12, 2026 caps THC at 0.4 mg per container, which as it stands now would prohibit products like this going forward. Legal to buy today where it ships; on a timer after that.
Where does Nowadays ship?
Direct from trynowadays.com to your door within the US, to states that permit hemp-derived THC products under the 2018 Farm Bill — no shipping to Canada, Mexico, or internationally. The brand notes that state rules shift quickly, so the checkout itself is the live source of truth for your state. Every order goes through a 21+ ID verification before it ships, and orders typically go out within 2–5 business days. It's also stocked at retailers around the country, including mainstream chains.
How much should I pour the first time?
The brand's own guidance, which we'd co-sign: one 1.5 oz shot — or half of one — then wait 15 to 30 minutes before deciding anything. The fast-acting THC means you'll have a real read on where you are inside half an hour, unlike an edible. Pick your bottle honestly too: the 2 mg Micro Dose exists precisely for first-timers, 5 mg suits people with some THC experience, and the 10 mg bottle is for seasoned drinkers only. Measure the early pours with an actual jigger — eyeballing is an alcohol habit this bottle doesn't deserve yet.
Does Nowadays taste like liquor?
No — and it isn't trying to. There's no alcohol, so there's none of the burn that defines a spirit. Drinkers consistently describe it as sweet and berry-candy-forward — "dissolved berry Sweetarts" is the most-quoted tasting note in public reviews — which makes it underwhelming as a fake whiskey and genuinely good as a cocktail base. The consensus move is to treat it like vodka in fruity builds: daiquiris, berry margaritas, anything with citrus, ice, and bubbles.
Does Nowadays give you a hangover?
There's no alcohol in it, so the classic alcohol hangover — the headache, the nausea, the apology to your morning self — isn't part of the deal, and "no hangover" is the brand's core promise. The honest caveat: it does contain THC, and people who overdo THC sometimes report next-day grogginess. Stay in your dose lane and the next morning is the headline feature. Overdo anything and your mileage varies — that's experiential consensus, not a medical claim.
What happens to Nowadays after November 12, 2026?
As it stands now, the federal rule taking effect that day caps legal hemp products at 0.4 mg of total THC per container — and a Nowadays bottle carries 83 to 166 mg, so the current products couldn't be sold as-is. What actually happens depends on court challenges, possible amendments, and how enforcement shakes out, and the whole category is lobbying hard. Nothing you've already bought changes hands retroactively. We track the live status in our hemp THC ban guide, which is the page to check before making any big stock-up decisions.
Keep reading
The November 2026 Hemp THC Ban, Explained
The 0.4 mg container cap, what's being challenged, and what it means for every product in this review.
Best THC Drinks
The full field — seltzers, tonics, and pours — ranked the Kind Buds way.
Best Kava Drinks
The zero-THC, zero-alcohol lane: calm in a can with no legal countdown attached.