With cannabis legalized in New York state, talk is beginning to heat up about cannabis beverages as an alternative to alcohol.

Industry experts say they are the future due to their comparability to alcoholic drinks, and the technology that has enabled companies to use drinks to create a more controlled social experience than can be achieved through smoking or vaping.

The first cannabis beverage released in New York state is produced by a company in the Syracuse area, the makers of 1911 drinks.

“This is a category that we feel very strongly will grow over time,” said Mack Hueber, president of Gen V Labs & Ayrloom.

Ayrloom is the cannabis arm of Beak & Skiff apple orchards just outside Syracuse. They’ve found success with alcoholic beverages and CBD products under their 1911 label. Now, they have the distinction of producing the first cannabis beverage in New York state under the Ayerloom banner.

Hueber says the drinks are produced from the byproduct of local cannabis farmers.

“This flower, it would be considered almost, like, really low-grade, or a waste product, but there’s still a lot of oil in this, so there’s a lot of value that we can extract,” he said.

He says once that oil is extracted, a multi-step heating process turns it into to a substance called distillate, which removes many undesirable elements.

“The reason we like to use distillate is, one, it’s more consistent, so it’s typically always around 90%; it’s more desirable as an ingredient because it doesn’t have the unwanted material.”

He said at that point, it is sent out to be tested for pesticides and other safety measures before it’s used to create Ayrloom’s vape cartridges, balms and yes, the drinks.

“It’s a one to one, 5 mg of THC, 5 mg of CBD,” he said.

He says they’re intended to take effect faster than traditional forms of ingesting cannabis products.

“You consume one of these beverages, and within 15 or 20 minutes you’ll feel the effects,” he said. “So, it’s more discrete way, a more controlled way of consuming low-dose sessionable cannabis.”

That’s important because, he says, this flexibility unlocks the ability for cannabis beverages to compete with alcoholic drinks, positioning them as an alcohol alternative and securing what experts say is their place as the future of the cannabis industry.

“We understand people are looking for something to relax with and have fun at events with, but here you get to have all that without the hangover,” he said.

Plus, he says, in any industry, accomplishing a first and having the wind at your back is good news for the local economy.

“This building, which was just constructed in the last year, has helped employ a good number of people,” he said. “We have employed over 25 people, and we hope that can continue to grow.”

The drink is available at all dispensaries in New York state, and they say they will continue expanding as dispensaries open up.