Christian said the idea for the company emerged from his background in Colorado’s cannabis industry and his belief that the beverage market lacked products focused on whole plant cannabis rather than isolated THC.

“Everyone was making a ‘THC-infused’ seltzer or soda, and coming from deep in the whole plant cannabis industry, I was insistent on making a whole plant cannabis beverage, using much more than just THC,” Christian said. 

Choosing to enter the “whole plant” cannabis beverage market was a strategic business decision, too.

“There isn't a big barrier to entry for THC-infused drinks, and one day, Big Beverage [will start to] infuse their own existing flavors and brands that already have national distribution and recognition,” says Christian.

Christian’s experience with cannabis extraction company Evolab in Denver heavily influenced the company’s approach to flavor and production.

“I was taken by the aromatics and the wholesomeness when consuming it,” he said of the Evolab product. “I wanted to bring that feeling into the beverage world.”

St.Rains Cannabis Beverages pair terpene profiles—aromatic compounds naturally found in cannabis—with fruit juices. Christian said each flavor begins with a specific terpene profile before the company experiments with fruit pairings and cannabinoid ratios—a process with similarities to brewing.

“We fit right in,” Christian said. “Though not a fermented product, we select and pair terpenes similarly to how a brewer would select and pair hops with beer—and wouldn’t you know, cannabis and hops are related plants, ‘botanical cousins’ if you will.”

That connection to craft beverage culture is one reason Asheville made sense as the company’s home base.

“Asheville and WNC is the hub of craft beverage in the Southeast, and the Southeast is the largest cannabis beverage market in the US,” he said. “We've been respectful since the beginning. We know our lane. I refer to us as a new craft versus the new craft. And that's what we are: a new craft, amid many others in this region. We're looking to make the best cannabis beverage in the world. And I want people to come to us because they want to consume cannabis, more so than because they don't want to consume alcohol.”

St.Rains currently sources ingredients from several regions, including hemp cannabinoids processed in North Carolina from regionally cultivated organic hemp, California-grown cannabis terpenes, and fruit juices from a Chicago supplier. The company had previously manufactured in Cincinnati because few facilities nationally could handle both organic juices and THC products. Beginning this summer, however, production will shift to Asheville.

Christian initially reached out to talk to the folks at Hi-Wire about hemp advocacy. 

“During that meeting I found out they were going to bring in a tunnel pasteurizer to expand their contract-manufacturing business,” he said. “We're gearing up for our first runs together this summer. I really like the guys—they've clearly built an impressive operation.”

So far, St.Rains has grown distribution largely through independent retailers and direct community engagement rather than heavy digital advertising.

“I'm just impressed—though not surprised—by the reception we've gotten growing organically in Asheville,” he said. “It's an Asheville thing. It’s tastings, it’s speaking to people, them telling their friends about us, word of mouth. It’s old school—the way it should be.”

Still, the cannabis beverage industry faces ongoing uncertainty around state and federal hemp regulations. Christian said the company has to prepare for multiple possible futures while continuing to grow.

“We are a highly pivotable product that's not dependent on any particular level of THC,” he said. “This is an absolutely turbulent industry to be part of. It's also grown to $50 billion in less than a decade. It's also an opportunity to bring whole plant cannabis back into responsible social settings, back into agriculture in a larger way, and help restore social and environmental balances. If you can navigate the rough seas here, you've got a chance to build something really special.”

Learn more at DrinkStRains.com.