THC Drinks Are Coming to Lollapalooza for the First Time

Cannabis just landed one of the biggest stages in live music. For the first time ever, Lollapalooza will serve infused THC beverages, giving fans a new way to unwind between sets.

Here's how it works. RYTHM, Inc., the company behind the Señorita brand, signed on as an official beverage partner for the festival. Anyone 21 and up can grab a Señorita drink at select bars across Grant Park. Two flavors make the debut: the Mango Margarita and the Lime Jalapeño Margarita. You'll find them at certain General Admission Cocktail, General Admission Plus, and VIP bars. And since they contain THC instead of alcohol, they give festivalgoers a non-alcoholic way to catch a buzz.

The location makes the deal even sweeter for the brand. Ben Kovler, RYTHM's chairman and interim CEO, pointed out that Señorita got its start in Chicago. "Chicago is Señorita's hometown, so this partnership feels like coming home," he said in a press release. He also framed Lollapalooza, with its decades of shaping music culture, as the right stage to introduce a premium, alcohol-free THC option to an older crowd.

Señorita is popping up all over Chicago

Lollapalooza is just the latest stop. RYTHM also serves as the official THC beverage partner for Navy Pier, and its drinks show up at venues like The Salt Shed. The brand has built an on-site presence at Windy City Smokeout, the Sueños Music Festival, the Chicago Pride Parade, and Taste of Randolph too.

The company has been chasing big venues for a while now. Back in January, it struck a multi-year deal with the United Center. That one made headlines because it was the first partnership in the country between a major U.S. arena and a cannabis brand to sell THC drinks to concert and event crowds.

This article is based on reporting by TG Branfalt for Ganjapreneur. Read the original coverage at ganjapreneur.com. All images via Lollapalooza.com and Rythm.com.

Our Take

This is a genuine milestone, and it's worth celebrating. THC beverages keep prying open doors that flower and vapes never could, and a festival the size of Lollapalooza putting cannabis drinks next to the cocktail menu is exactly the kind of mainstream moment the industry has been chasing for years. But let's keep our feet on the ground. This is a tightly controlled rollout at a handful of bars, gated to 21 and up, with two flavors from one brand. It's a marketing win as much as a cultural one. And notice who pulled it off…

RYTHM sits under one of the biggest operators in the game, so this kind of premium venue access isn't something a small brand can just go grab. Beverages are one of the few bright spots in a market that's shedding jobs and watching sales slide, which is exactly why the deep-pocketed players are planting their flags here first. The momentum is real, and the normalization is real. Just don't confuse a VIP bar at Lollapalooza with a level playing field. The brands winning these deals are the ones who can already afford to. Follow FSOTD for more updates from the culture.