Province Brands of Canada – Applied Research and Innovation Office

Cannabis Infusions Are the Latest Evolution in Beer’s 10,000 year History

Posted on August 31, 2018 by wpadminLeave a comment

Cannabis Infusions Are the Latest Evolution in Beer's 10,000 year History

Aug. 31, 2018 – Archaeologists suspect that humans have been brewing beer for more than 10,000 years, which would indicate that we developed fermentation technology prior to the agricultural revolution. The oldest known beer sample dates from more than 8,000 years ago, made in China using a mix of rice, grapes, hawthorn tree fruit and honey. In the millennia that have followed, brewed beverages have spread and diversified across the globe. That trend continues to this day as brewmasters in the US and Canada experiment with a new strain of 21st century beer infusions: cannabis. It’s not been easy, but our good friend science has come to the rescue.

It’s not that surprising, really. With the rise of recreational weed in more than half of American states — and legalization at the national level in Canada coming October 17th — interest in novel uses for the plant are at an all-time high. What’s more, cannabis and hops are genetic cousins. “They’re the most closely related plants in the family cannabaceae, genetically speaking,” Elan Walsky, co-owner of Oregon’s Coalition Brewing told The Ringer in July. “So from a practical standpoint, it means they’re producing a lot of the same terpenes, or flavor and aromatic compounds.”

This natural synergy has led a number of brewers to experiment with mixing beer with weed. New Belgium recently released the Hemperor IPA, for example, while Lagunitas now offers SuperCritical. Neither of these drinks actually includes THC (which is prohibited by federal law), only the terpenes, but they mark some of the latest innovations in the current trend towards infused craft beers. And they’re certainly not alone. Strange Days Brewing in Kansas is famous for its unique infusions including rice, ginger and coffee, while Mad Science Brewing in Maryland offers beers infused with fruits and vegetables. Nevada-based startup Cannabiniers plans to release its own infused brew this month.

Even Molson Coors is getting in on the action. The company recently announced that it is “entering a joint venture with The Hydropothecary Corporation” to develop a line of non-alcoholic weed beers.

Keith Villa, who developed Blue Moon Belgian Wheat, recently left MillerCoors after 32 years to start CERIA Beverages in Colorado. “I’m ready to introduce another high-impact brand to the industry again, this time with a new line of custom cannabis-infused craft beers,” Villa writes on the CERIA website. “Today, the opportunity and the demand are here, inviting Americans to enjoy a more social way of consuming cannabis – by drinking rather than by smoking it or through ingestion of edibles.”

But unlike the Hemperor IPA or Supercritical, CERIA’s offerings will contain THC but not alcohol. The company plans to release three varieties — a light beer, a wheat beer, and a stout — this fall.

Whether they contain THC or alcohol, all of these beers share a common characteristic: they’re not actually brewed with cannabis. Most often, the beer is simply infused with cannabis oil after the fermentation process. Province Brands, a Toronto-based startup, is working to change that by being the first company to involve cannabis in the brewing process itself, from the plants roots to its flowers. The company is doing so with a little bit of help from student researchers at Loyalist College in Belleville and a $300,000 research grant from the Ontario government.

Alberta Producer Making Cannabis Oil for ‘Green’ Beer Hitting Regulatory Roadblocks

Posted on July 2, 2018 by wpadminLeave a comment

Alberta Producer Making Cannabis Oil for 'Green' Beer Hitting Regulatory Roadblocks

Jul. 1, 2018 – An Alberta-based cannabis producer is hoping to grease the wheels of the liquor industry with a little marijuana oil.

Element GP, based in Clearwater County, plans to provide cannabis oil for a line of non-alcoholic beers brewed from barley, and infused with cannabis oil.

The producer is working with Toronto-based Province Brands of Canada to create the concoction, which they describe as a safer alternative to alcohol.

Under the new business alliance, Element GP will produce custom cannabis oil for some of these new beers.

Province Brands heralded the beer — which is still in development with patent pending. They say cracking open one of their cold ones would provide a short-lived buzz similar to an alcoholic beer.

“All Province Brands beverage products will feature its accelerant to shorten the intoxicating onset time as well as its proprietary decelerant to shorten the offset time, ultimately creating a dose-response curve similar to that of alcohol,” reads a news release.

Toronto Startup in Race to Develop Cannabis ‘Beer’

Posted on June 26, 2018 by wpadminLeave a comment

Toronto Startup in Race to Develop Cannabis ‘Beer’

Jun. 26, 2018 – Toronto-based startup Province Brands has partnered with Ontario’s Loyalist College to develop a non-alcoholic beer made from cannabis. CEO Dooma Wendschuh says the drink is designed to have an equivalent dosage effect as an alcoholic beer.

Click to Learn More: Toronto Startup in Race to Develop Cannabis ‘Beer’ (CityNews Vancouver)

Brews News: Anderson Beers Win Medals at National Competition

Posted on June 6, 2018 by wpadminLeave a comment

Brews News: Anderson Beers Win Medals at National Competition

Jun. 6, 2018 – Never mind the Canadian Country Music Awards or the Junos. What a city like London needs to land in order to be hip are the Canadian Brewing Awards.

Especially when there’s a hometown contender and a whiff of cannabis in the air (not that there’s any connection between the two).

The 16th annual awards recognizing the best of Canada’s craft beers were held in Halifax this year and Anderson Craft Ales was among those leaving with medals from among the 310 breweries submitting more than 1,900 beers.

The Old East Village brewery captured gold for its cream ale and, in the European-style amber to dark lager category, bronze for Anderson Spring. Not too shabby.

There were 56 categories, each representing a style of beer from brett to spiced to smoked.

Among the other medal winners:

• Gold for Walkerville Purity pilsner from Windsor

• Silver for Walkerville’s Kremlin Russian Imperial stout

• Silver for Westcott cream ale by the Grove Brewhouse of Kingsville

• Silver in the North American lager category for Frank’s cream ale by Frank Brewing of Tecumseh

• Silver for Scotch ale, Niagara College Teaching Brewing Beer 101 Strong

• Silver for Come to the Dark Side chocolate stout by Upper Thames of Woodstock

• Bronze for Ace Hill Light. One of the Toronto-based Ace Hill founders is Blake Anderson, formerly of London.

• Best of show was an English brown beer brewed in Quebec by Brasserie Mille-Iles and brewer of the year was Dageraad of British Columbia.

And the cannabis? That was the subject of an eye-raising seminar as cannabis beer edges closer to the marketplace via Province Brands of Canada. In anticipation of legalization for recreational use, the Toronto company has plans to make a beer using cannabis instead of hops.

Dooma Wendschuch, co-founder and chief executive of Province Brands of Canada, told CTV News the cannabis beer would have 6.5 mg of THC, the psychoactive agent in pot.

“Our goal is to make a product that is only as intoxicating as a standard beer would be for someone who has drank beer before,” Wendschuch told the broadcaster.

Hops are a plant cousin of cannabis and the research for using cannabis in beer is partially funded by you. The Ontario government chipped in $300,000 for Loyalist College of Belleville to work with Province Brands in the development of the new adult beverage category. Think of that as you vote in the provincial election.

Ontario Government Just Gave Loyalist College An Insane Amount Of Money To Create Weed Beer

Posted on May 26, 2018 by wpadminLeave a comment

Ontario Government Just Gave Loyalist College An Insane Amount Of Money To Create Weed Beer

May 7, 2018 – When you think of how people ingest marijuana you would usually think of people smoking it, or eating it in a something like a brownie.

But apparently Ontario wants you to have the opportunity to drink it as well, and not just drink it in some kind of nice tasting flavoured drink, but as beer.

Yes, the government of Ontario is actually funding research to make weed beer a thing.

Student researchers at Loyalist College in Belleville Ont. have been given $300,000 in order to make everyone’s marijuana beer dreams a reality.

The basic idea behind this plan is that instead of making beer out of barley, brewers would make it out of cannabis instead.

They want this to be completed and made available to sell to the public by next year when edibles, or in this case drinkables, will be legal in Canada.

Researchers Working to Create Beer with Cannabis Instead of Barley

Posted on May 21, 2018 by wpadminLeave a comment

Researchers Working to Create Beer with Cannabis Instead of Barley

May 21, 2028 – You can smoke it, vape it or bake it, and soon enough you’ll be able to crack open a bottle and drink it.

Researchers and students at Loyalist College’s Applied Research Centre for Natural Products and Medical Cannabis in Belleville, Ont., are brewing up a new kind of beer, replacing barley with cannabis, CBC.ca reports.

The college teamed up with Toronto-based company Province Brands of Canada, which makes alcohol-free beer and spirits from marijuana, and for now they’re using hemp in research and product development.

But once cannabis becomes legal, they’ll be able to work with the real thing.

Loyalist professor Kari Kramp told CBC Radio’s Ontario Morning that researchers, students and engineers still have a lot of work to do to create a drinkable product.

And the pressure is on to do it quickly, she said.

Researchers Working on New Kind of Green Beer — with Cannabis

Posted on May 21, 2018 by wpadminLeave a comment

Researchers Working on New Kind of Green Beer — with Cannabis

May 21, 2018 – You can smoke it, vape it or bake it, and soon enough you’ll be able to crack open a bottle and drink it.

Researchers and students at Loyalist College’s Applied Research Centre for Natural Products and Medical Cannabis in Belleville, Ont., are brewing up a new kind of beer, replacing barley with cannabis.

But once cannabis becomes legal, they’ll be able to work with the real thing.

A budding industry

Loyalist professor Kari Kramp told CBC Radio’s Ontario Morning that researchers, students and engineers still have a lot of work to do to create a drinkable product.

And the pressure is on to do it quickly, she said.

“They’re working through the recipe development right now. They’ve done a lot of work ahead of time looking specifically at the details of the process through design of experiment,” she said, adding that there’s a patent pending for the product.

“It’s unique because there are some challenges that are different when you’re working with hemp and marijuana than if you’re working with traditional grains like barley,” she said.

The project, which exists thanks to a grant from the Ontario government, aims to help Province Brands develop a beer it can sell in what’s expected to become a big industry for cannabis products.

Canadian Province Presents Grant for Cannabis Beer Project

Posted on May 8, 2018 by wpadminLeave a comment

Canadian Province Presents Grant for Cannabis Beer Project

May 8, 2018 –The Canadian province of Ontario’s government has provided $300,000 to assist a local company to develop a non-alcoholic cannabis beer.

The Toronto-based Loyalist College’s Applied Research Centre for Natural Products and Medical Cannabis and Province Brands of Canada claim that the beer they intend to create will be “highlight intoxicating,” and will take at least one year to perfect. Grant money was provided by the Colleges Applied Research & Development Fund in partnership with Colleges Ontario.

Like many other cannabis-infused beer companies, the goal is to create a new product that offers the same level of effect of cannabis consumption is in other forms. “Our province needs talent to continue to sustain its growing innovation eco-system,” said Reza Moridi, Minister of Research, Innovation and Science. “Investing in applied research and development is a step towards a brighter and more prosperous future for our province. By bringing together colleges and the R&D sector, we’re creating opportunities for our students and ensuring they are ready for the jobs of tomorrow.”

Not only will this involve opportunities for students, but Dooma Wendschuh, who is the co-founder and CEO of Province Brands of Canada believes that if the project is successful, it is expected to greatly benefit residents too. “We are thrilled that Ontario Centres of Excellence sees the value in our groundbreaking research to create a new brewing tradition, which will ultimately create jobs across Ontario and most importantly, introduce consumers to a safer alternative to alcohol,” he said.

Ontario Chips in $300,000 to Help Develop Pot Beer

Posted on May 4, 2018 by wpadminLeave a comment

Ontario Chips in $300,000 to Help Develop Pot Beer

May 4, 2018 – The Ontario government has contributed $300,000 to help a Toronto company work with Loyalist College in Belleville to develop what it says will be the world’s first beer brewed from cannabis.

The joint project will create a beer that is “highly intoxicating” but safer and healthier than alcohol, says Province Brands of Canada. The company chipped in $300,000 in cash and in-kind services.

Province Brands joins cannabis industry giant Canopy Growth Corp. in Smiths Falls in betting that drinks will become a dominant way that Canadians consume their marijuana when it’s legal.

Loyalist College’s Applied Research Centre for Natural Products and Medical Cannabis Collaborates with Province Brands of Canada

Posted on April 30, 2018 by wpadminLeave a comment

Loyalist College's Applied Research Centre for Natural Products and Medical Cannabis Collaborates with Province Brands of Canada

Belleville, Ontario, April 30, 2018 – Loyalist College’s Applied Research Centre for Natural Products and Medical Cannabis (ARC) has launched a year-long applied research project with Province Brands of Canada, makers of alcohol-free cannabis beers and spirits.

In February 2018, Loyalist was awarded $660,000 in funding for the project through the Government of Ontario’s Colleges Applied Research and Development Fund (CARDF), administered by Ontario Centres of Excellence in partnership with Colleges Ontario. Funding provided through the CARDF program allows Province Brands of Canada to leverage $300,000 from the Ontario Centres of Excellence, with their contribution of $300,000 cash and in-kind towards the research and development efforts.

The research project aims to help Province Brands of Canada further develop and commercially scale-up their patent-pending process for converting cannabis plant components into an aqueous solution as a base for producing fermented beverages, including premium beer products. It is a significant contribution to Province Brands of Canada’s efforts to bring to market the world’s first beers brewed entirely from cannabis plants, instead of barley or grains.

The ARC is Canada’s only College with a laboratory approved to conduct research with cannabis under the Narcotic Control Regulations, as listed on the Government of Canada’s website.

Quotes:

“Our province needs talent to continue to sustain its growing innovation eco-system. Investing in applied research and development is a step towards a brighter and more prosperous future for our province. By bringing together colleges and the R&D sector, we’re creating opportunities for our students and ensuring they are ready for the jobs of tomorrow.” – Reza Moridi, Minister of Research, Innovation and Science

“Loyalist’s ARC is uniquely positioned to collaborate with Province Brands of Canada to conduct the analytical testing and process development they need. This will be the first project of its kind in Canada to utilize the whole cannabis plant, creating an opportunity to eliminate waste streams in cannabis and industrial hemp industries. Our focus on sustainability and entrepreneurship through innovative applied research provides our students with exceptional educational experiences that prepare them for forward-thinking roles.” – Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan, Loyalist College President & CEO

“We are thrilled that Ontario Centres of Excellence sees the value in our groundbreaking research to create a new brewing tradition, which will ultimately create jobs across Ontario and most importantly, introduce consumers to a safer alternative to alcohol.” – Dooma Wendschuh, Co-Founder and CEO of Province Brands of Canada

“We are excited to partner with Province Brands of Canada. This project comes at an important time as Canada is emerging as a leader in the North American hemp industry and in the cultivation of cannabis. It’s an incredible opportunity for our students to work with industry partners on game-changing applied research projects.” – Dr. Kari Kramp, Principal Investigator and Biosciences faculty at Loyalist College

About Loyalist College’s Applied Research and Innovation Department

Through Loyalist’s Applied Research and Innovation Department, the College collaborates with industry partners in various fields on applied research projects, creating amazing learning experiences for students and faculty of all disciplines. The College has had success with funding support through the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) on a variety of projects. Having access to funding support allows Loyalist to increase capacity to work with local industries and businesses, support faculty who are committed to conducting research and to facilitating student research experiences. It has increased the capacity of Ontario industries to conduct applied research and attract new investors, stimulating innovative product development and job creation in our region. For more information, visit loyalistcollege.com.

About Province Brands of Canada

Province Brands of Canada is an early stage, Toronto-based, highly disruptive premium adult beverage company founded by veteran entrepreneurs with extensive experience in the premium alcohol and legal medical and recreational cannabis industries. Province Brand’s patent-pending process has created the world’s first beer brewed entirely from cannabis. Alcohol-free yet highly intoxicating, and with a dose-response curve similar to that of alcohol, Province Brand’s cannabis-powered beers and spirits will challenge the alcohol industry by offering a safer and healthier alternative that is also low in calories and sugar. For more information, please visit: provincebrands.com or email elad@provincebrands.com.

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Contact: Kerry Lorimer, Director of Marketing, Communications & Recruitment
Loyalist College, klorimer@loyalistcollege.com, 613-969-1913 ext. 2536