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Weed is a long way from being legal in Texas, but you wouldn’t know that by taking a drive around town. THC and CBD products are everywhere — you can buy pre-rolled blunts and tinctures from the seemingly hundreds of Austin strip center smoke shops, or indulge in seltzers, cocktails, and coffees from a handful of local spots. However, while products with trace amounts of THC are legal in Texas today, that could soon change.
In 2019, Texas passed House Bill 1325, which allows the production and sale of hemp products, so long as they’re 0.3 percent or less THC. But this legislative session, two bills have been introduced that would threaten the future of THC products in Texas. House Bill 28 bans most edible and smokable hemp-derived products, though it would allow drinkable products, like cocktails and pre-packaged seltzers. Meanwhile, Senate Bill 3, backed by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, would ban any and all hemp products with THC, drinks included.
Lawmakers in favor of the bills argue that THC products like gummies and edibles are too accessible and too appealing to children and that the industry is under-regulated. Drinkable products are exempted from HB 28 because the author, State Affairs Chairman Ken King, argues that, while products like gummies and edibles are appealing to children, drinks aren’t. Local business owners, however, are concerned that the bills could kill Texas hemp companies overnight. SB 3 passed in the Texas Senate on March 19, bringing the state one step closer to shutting down the multibillion-dollar industry.
While the future of THC drinks in Austin is up in the air — for now — THC products are still available throughout Austin. Eater sleuthed out which Austin coffee shops, bars, food trucks, and cafes serve THC products and taste-tested 14 different drinks. Here’s a final list of the best of Austin’s THC offerings, including everything from fruity seltzers with a mild buzz to a creamy latte that nearly knocked me off my feet. (Your mileage may vary when I describe these drinks’ effects. I’m a larger man with a moderately strong weed tolerance; My partner felt the effects much harder than I did when drinking with me.)
1115 East 11th Street, Central East Austin
The first spot I hit on my quest for the best THC drinks in Austin turned out to be the best. Radio Coffee and Beer has three locations across Austin — South, East, and Rosewood — but I visited Radio Rosewood, the newest location, just east of Downtown. Radio was out of ginger beer to make its usual THC cocktail, the Drug Mule. Still, I got to try the Drink Your Weedies, a cocktail reminiscent of a margarita, made with 8th Wonder’s Ocho Verde THC spirit, Gifford Nonalcoholic Grapefruit, lemon, and honey, topped with a salt rim. The salty and sweet combination with its clean grapefruit flavor was an instant winner. Unlike alcohol, there’s no burn with THC drinks, and I enjoyed the Drink Your Weedies so much I had to force myself to drink it slowly.
The Drink Your Weedies comes with 6 milligrams of THC, which caused a light, floaty kind of high, which lasted maybe an hour.
1300 East 4th Street, East Cesar Chavez
Cosmic’s second location, in the trendy Saltillo development, is ideal for people-watching, with dog walkers, cyclists, and pedestrians out and about. The bar offers three cold THC cocktails to sip, making it a great option for enjoying the occasionally nice Austin weather on its patio, but its Stellar Seltzer was my favorite. The fruity drink, an orange, peach, passion fruit, and guava seltzer, comes with a barely noticeable 3 milligrams of THC and delivers a delightful level of moderate sweetness. Cosmic’s drinks aren’t for someone who’s looking to get stoned — the Stellar Seltzer only gave me a very light high, but they are delicious and a great option for anyone wanting to enjoy sweaty Austin evenings with friends.
2701 West William Cannon Drive, South Austin
Austin’s best food and drink are often hidden in unassuming food trucks, and Radix House Coffee is no different. This South Austin truck serves coffee, tea, and other beverages with or without THC or CBD from its home in a bowling alley parking lot. I ordered a plain oat milk latte with a 15-milligram dose of THC and discovered that whether you include the THC or not, Radix makes a great cup of coffee. The latte was creamy and smooth, not acidic or bitter at all, and it was a welcome treat on an overcast day in Radix’s small, shack-like covered patio.
My recommendation for Radix, however, comes with one caveat: Don’t order the 15 milligrams if you have a busy day ahead of you. The drink snuck up on me. I was enjoying a loose and pleasant feeling, but an hour later, when I was mostly finished with the coffee, I was thoroughly and overwhelmingly high. This was a “ate too much of an edible” high. It was a “I needed to take a nap and reconsider my choices” high. Even though the barista warned me the coffee might be strong, the high from this THC-laced coffee packed far more of a wallop than I expected and lasted about four hours. Pro tip: The baristas at Radix can add lower doses than 15 milligrams, and I strongly suggest going with a more reasonable 5 milligrams if you have a low to medium tolerance.
2521 Rutland Drive, #150A, North Austin
Unlike the cocktails I tried, which all had no THC taste to them whatsoever, too many canned seltzers have a strong smell and taste of marijuana, which can range from mildly unpleasant to downright difficult to drink. Thankfully, Restart’s Rita line of seltzers has no THC taste at all and includes 5 milligrams of both CBD and THC. Restart, a women-owned CBD and THC dispensary in North Austin, offers the Rita in Agave Lime and Ruby Rio (aka grapefruit). The Ruby Rio offered smooth carbonation and a strong kick of grapefruit. Despite containing both THC and CBD, it had the lightest effect of any seltzer I tried — more of a suggestion of a high than a real high. But it was still an enjoyable seltzer, and its light effects mean you could have several in a row without a problem.
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