Climbing Kites THC seltzers becomes household name in Des Moines

Driving the news: Climbing Kites, which started last year, is now offered through Iowa Beverage, a major Molson Coors distributor that sells in over 50 counties.

• "It's the Busch Light of THC and CBD beverages in our area," says Jeff Bruning, co-owner of Full Court Press, which operates popular eateries like Fong's, Lucky Horse and Iowa Taproom that carry the product.
• "The fact that we get it from our beer distributorship, almost more than anything else, made it legitimate to me," Bruning says.

By the numbers: The drink's most popular demographic is "affluent millennials" aged 30-50, though "boomers" and Gen Z are becoming more curious too, Climbing Kites' brand manager Nick Iversen says.

• He declined to share specifics on growth, but said Climbing Kites is popular beyond bars, including Campbell's Nutrition, Gateway Market and coffee shops.

Between the lines: Under Iowa law, it's easier for retailers to apply for a permit to sell consumable hemp products like Climbing Kites than to sell beer and wine, which come with a slew of rules depending on a store's location and square footage.

Yes, but: Especially for shops offering on-site consumption, getting properly insured can be a pain, Bruning says.

• It took him six months to decide to sell Climbing Kites at Full Court Press establishments, and he decided to only offer four-packs to-go because of insurance difficulties.
• "The kind of robust insurance I'd want to have for our businesses doesn't exist in the marketplace at this point," Bruning says.

What's next: Expect Lua and Big Grove to continue capitalizing on the growing cannabinoid market with the release of a new, non-seltzer beverage, Iversen says.

• "This is a growing space, still in its infancy."