A NEW KIND OF WONDER. Downtown Eau Claire cafe and hemp shop, Wonders of Nature, recently unveiled its own in-house THC soda line.

Wonders of Nature’s dual storefront and cafe in downtown Eau Claire (416 S. Barstow St.) is host to paninis and gourmet toasts, coffee and organic tea, fruit smoothies, and more – and a lot of it can also be infused with CBD or THC. If you walk past its cafe booths and bar seating into the back of the space, you’ll find a wide variety of cannabis products: topicals and tinctures, gummies and flower, and even pet-friendly products.

Just between the two halves – the “front” cafe and “back” shop – sits a few refrigerators, now home to Wonders of Nature’s latest in-house product: infused, canned beverages.

Wonders of Nature was one of Eau Claire’s early hemp storefronts – originally opening in Banbury Place before making the move to Barstow Street and introducing its cafe – owned and operated by Chris Buske. Akin to the small business’s other products, Buske was intentional with the new sip’s creation.

There are two flavors currently up for grabs at Wonders of Nature: Tropical Kush and Hazy Creamsicle. With about eight others in the works, including cherry and ginger ale, the drink’s recipe is purposefully simple.

Wonders of Nature (416 S. Barstow St., Eau Claire) is open Monday-Saturday from 10am-5pm. (Photo by Andrea Paulseth)

After investing in equipment to craft and can the new drinks in-house, Buske said the recipe includes Wonders of Nature’s base juice recipes plus organic sugar, filtered water, and a little bit of citric and ascorbic acids. Each 12 oz. can is infused with 10 milligrams of THC-9.

“I think what’s really going to make us different than anybody else is, keeping it small and our strong intention when we are infusing,” Buske said. “They’re being infused with a better quality product than most of what you’re seeing.”

Because Buske is not mass producing the new beverage line, he did not have to add preservatives into the product. Deeper than that, he utilized solventless live rosin – as opposed to CBD or other THC variants, which is often found in similar sodas and drinks, the solventless process excludes chemical solvents and retains more potency.

“Our produce is being made from THC flower – not CBD flower – which is then being hashed, separating the resin from the plant, without solvents. Then, (we) collect that, press it, and make it into the water soluble product that preserves the essence of the plants,” he explained.

“It’s not this flavorless, smell-less product. A lot of (these kinds of drinks) try to hide the (the taste of cannabis) with anti-bitters and stuff like that, but cannabis is naturally bitter,” Buske continued.

Marked by a steady, smooth rise after drinking, Buske said he describes the latest Wonders of Nature product as delivering a “fuller feeling.”

Currently, Wonders of Nature’s canned THC beverage is only available at its storefront ($6/can with four-pack and six-pack carriers available). Buske said he plans on connecting with neighboring and local bars and restaurants to potentially have it offered on tap as well.

“I would tell people, these just hit different,” he said. “They’re not going to hit harder, they’re just a more full, true cannabis experienced compared to an isolate THC or Delta 9 experience.”

Visit Wonders of Nature (416 S. Barstow St., Eau Claire) to try the small business's latest beverage – only available to those ages 21-plus – or to learn more. Keep up with Wonders of Nature on social media (@wondersofnaturehemp).