Alcohol consumption in the U.S. dropped to a new low this year, and some point to an increase in THC and CBD beverages as a leading factor. In a state like Wisconsin, where beer flows like water and most towns seem to have a bar on every corner, could cannabis really pose a threat to a centuries-old legacy?

As THC drinks move closer to center stage, bars and liquor stores across the state are increasingly offering cannabis-derived beverages alongside their alcoholic staples.

One of Eau Claire's most beloved watering holes is The Joynt (322 Water St., Eau Claire). Its proprietor has noticed a change in the bar scene over the years, but he doesn't attribute it solely to a change in beverage tastes.

While marijuana is still illegal in Wisconsin, some cannabis and hemp producers work in compliance with the 2018 Farm Bill to sell their products. Under this bill, it is legal to sell THC derived from hemp plants with a concentration of up to 0.3% dryweight THC. Substances like Delta-8, Delta-9, and THC-A are legally extracted from these plants.

The leeway offered in the bill has allowed for establishments all over Wisconsin to get creative with their cannabis-infused products. While the city of Eau Claire is now home to a multitude of businesses that market these beverages, some business owners don’t believe they are what is affecting local pubs.

Bill Nolte, owner of The Joynt (322 Water St., Eau Claire), has observed a gradual shift in bar presence over the years. Having noticed the same trend among other well-established bars around town, Nolte speculated that this change resulted not from an increase in beverage options, but simply from a decline in nightlife altogether.

“It’s just different,” Nolte said. “You’re not gonna see lines in front of the bars on a Friday night as often.”

He illustrated this change using the sales of his best-selling drink, draft beer, for reference.

“25 years ago, you know, draft beers were 50 cents here,” Nolte said. “And for several years, when beers were that price, I averaged close to $1,000 a day. Now, that same beer costs a dollar. Yet we’re only making about $500 per day.”

While The Tavern League of Wisconsin has remained consistently quiet about its stance on THC beverages, government affairs spokesperson Scott Stenger told Wisconsin Watch the League does not lobby against the sale of cannabis beverages. In the article, Stenger said, “it would seem to me that there’d be more reasons for us to support than oppose, but we never have.”

The Phoenix Taproom & Kitchen (402 Graham Ave., first floor, Eau Claire) is the largest taproom in the region. According to its manager, THC beverages do just as well as any of its beer options.

Several Eau Claire businesses have found success in offering both THC and alcoholic beverage options.

The Brewing Projekt (1807 N. Oxford Ave.) has been marketing its canned Delta-9 seltzers for about a year. The Phoenix Taproom & Kitchen (402 Graham Ave., first floor) was recently featured in Forbes for offering their THC beverages on tap — an innovative approach to accommodate the rising demand.

Alex King, a manager at Phoenix Taproom & Kitchen, said the taproom has offered THC beverages since it first opened in June of 2024.

“THC drinks have consistently sold at the same level as our most popular draft beers,” King said. “People are loving them.”

Wonders of Nature Café (416 S. Barstow St., Eau Claire) is one of Eau Claire's anchor hemp shops. Earlier this summer, the small business released its own line of THC sodas. (Photo by McKenna Scherer)

Local dispensaries are capitalizing on this trend as well. Eau Claire’s Wonders of Nature (416 S. Barstow St.) recently released its own line of house-made Delta-9 THC sodas, with the additional option of infusing any beverage from the cafe with THC or CBD upon request.

Steve’s Hemp (127 N. Barstow St., Eau Claire) is a well-known distributor of THC beverages and products in the area; the numerous Azara locations around town also sell a range of Delta-8 and Delta-9 drinks to customers 18 and older.

Nathaniel Rogers, the manager for one of two Azara (328 Water St., Eau Claire) locations on Water Street, said stocking THC beverage options instead of alcohol makes events at the store accessible to 18+ crowds, unlike bars that don’t allow patrons under 21 inside at all.

“We can sell THC drinks and edibles to 18 plus, and it’s kind of the only spot where an 18-year-old can come to have a good time without a fake ID,” Rogers said. “We're trying to bring the community together here — be a place people can have a good time outside of just the bar.”

King observed that THC beverages are enjoyed by a wide variety of customers, possibly filling in the gaps when alcoholic options dip out of fashion for some.

“Our median customer base is people in their mid-to-late 40s,” King said. “And THC beverages are popular among all of them — there isn’t really a specific age group that buys it more. It’s all sorts of people.”

While alcohol isn’t going anywhere in the near future, the rising popularity of cannabis alternatives is undeniable – even in beer-loving Wisconsin.

Learn more about the addition and rise of THC beverages in the Wisconsin scene in this article by WPR. Check out the aforementioned local businesses' Facebook pages to see what they're offering. The Tavern League of Wisconsin declined to provide additional comment for this article.