It was three years ago when Marty Reed, Lyden Henderson, Greg Haap, and Charlie Reed came together to create THC-infused, non-alcoholic craft beverages under the brand name High Style Brewing. Those products launched in 2018. A promising year of sales via dispensary shelves left them bullish enough to expand their offerings to include traditional non-alcoholic beer and CBD-infused hemp beers. Products in their three-tiered portfolio are crafted in San Diego County and available under the new moniker Outbound Brewing.
The aforementioned quartet’s base of operations is in Miramar. While they collectively boast vast entrepreneurial, retail, real estate, finance, business, compliance, and product-development experience, brewing is not one of their skill sets. As such, they have partnered with a local brewery for contract brewing services. The number of quality beer manufacturers throughout the county was a primary reason the four San Diegans felt their hometown was a prime spot to base their business.
“We work with a contract brewer who is one of the most reputable brewmasters in San Diego and has been in the brewing industry for years,” says Reed, Outbound’s CEO, without divulging the brewer.
Outbound is San Diego’s second brewery operation producing THC and non-alcoholic beers. The first to debut was Two Roots Brewing. That Kearny Mesa-based company began selling beer in 2018 after taking over Helm’s Brewing, operates a public tasting room in Ocean Beach, and won a gold medal at last year’s Great American Beer Festival in the Non-Alcoholic Beer category.
When asked about their direct local competition and what differentiates Outbound’s products, Reed says, “It is great to see others joining in the effort to create more non-alcoholic offerings, and we love to see the innovation from others in the space. At Outbound, our commitment to small-batch, artisan craft brewing, our dedication to our flavor profiles, and our unique, proprietary terpene blend set us apart from other similar products. We are also proud to be going the extra mile on our commitment to the environment and our community.”
Outbound’s inaugural trio of beers have a lot in common. All are hazy (Pale Haze, Blood Orange Haze, and Grapefruit Haze), contain zero added sugar, and come in at just 30 calories per serving. In the case of the cannabis beers, each 12-ounce bottle contains 10 milligrams of fast-acting, nano-emulsified THC. Outbound’s THC-infused beers will hit California dispensary shelves in February, while its other offerings debuted in single-serving and six-pack formats at a variety of retailers earlier this month, including natural products stores, liquor stores, convenience stores, bars, and restaurants. There are currently no plans for the company to open a public-accessible tasting room.
“It’s an honor to be at the forefront of this exciting new category. The way people drink is changing, and we’re excited to be part of forging a new path for adult beverages,” says Reed. “At the same time, by incorporating craft beer flavor that people love and bottling our products to blend in seamlessly, we’re also helping to make THC- and CBD-infused beverages into mainstream choices that co-exist easily with other drinks. We believe that’s the future.”