Mentation Cannabis Terpenes in Bissell Beer

 

On a weekend trip to Bissell Brothers Brewing in South Portland, Maine, I noticed a new beer on the menu, Mentation, a collaboration with Mentation Cannabis of Maine using terpenes. As a fan of both beer and cannabis, it was something I needed to try.

Bissell describes the beer: “A collaboration with Mentation Cannabis – kindred spirits in dedication to a craft – that celebrates the smells of our two favorite plants. Mosaic and Simcoe are paired with a blend of terpenes (highly aromatic compounds in both hops and cannabis**) to thread in notes of the hop’s famous cousin.
**THIS BEER DOES NOT CONTAIN CANNABIS, CBD, OR THC.”

While this beer certainly won’t be for everyone, it was great. Personally, I appreciate beer that is unique and bold, I may not drink a 4-pack in one night, but I’ll enjoy the pour. The marijuana aroma is evident right from the initial smell and sip. The flavor is resinous, grassy, and herbal. If you’ve prepared or consumed edibles, the flavor will be very familiar. While it was intense at first, the flavor smooths out over time and is very drinkable.

Learn more about this collab with Bissell and Mentation Cannabis. Noah Bissell and Matt Robinson of Bissell Brothers have a podcast, Graining In, and back on March 28th of 2021 they posted an episode with Trevor Stone of Mentation Cannabis, an interesting talk on his journey growing cannabis and what he’s learned as well as some of the issues with current federal policy on cannabis. Brewers and cannabis cultivators can relate when it comes to early days of growing and homebrewing. Listen to the episode here.

What do hops and cannabis have in common?

Studies published in the past decade have confirmed cannabis and hops are genetically related. Hops used to make beer and cannabis plants both contain terpenes that provide the common aroma flavors found in each. Hops do not possess the enzyme that would convert cannabigerolic acid into psychoactive THC. Cannabis produces cannabinoids while hops produce alpha and beta acids.

Banner image sourced from Bissell Brothers Website