Nashville-based Horticulture Co. posted 112.5% year-over-year case growth in 2026, landing the number-one hemp beverage supplier position by case volume in Georgia and earning top-selling brand status at Circle K nationwide — two benchmarks that carry real weight with buyers evaluating the maturing hemp-derived THC shelf.
The company's two lead brands — Tempters Elevated Spritz and IVERSON THC Craft Sodas — drove that velocity across convenience, liquor, and specialty retail channels. The IVERSON line, developed in partnership with Allen Iverson and Viola Brands, launched initially through Circle K locations in Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina before expanding into additional legal THC markets. New retail partners now include ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, Sprouts, BP Thorntons, Lowes Foods, and GPM Investments, with new state markets added in Connecticut, Delaware, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and Missouri.
What the Shelf Data Says
The velocity numbers out of Circle K and Spec's Fine Wine & Spirits are the kind of proof points that move a brand from "emerging" to "must-stock" in buyer conversations. Rebekah Stevenson, Head of Packaged Beverage at Circle K, noted that the IVERSON rollout aligns with the chain's focus on innovation, quality, and safety — language that signals Circle K views the hemp beverage set as a permanent fixture rather than a trial program. For operators and category managers watching c-store beverage trends, leading velocity at a retailer of Circle K's national scale is a meaningful signal that hemp-derived THC drinks are transitioning from specialty-channel product to mainstream impulse buy.
The SKU architecture is worth noting for any buyer building a planogram. Tempters Elevated Spritz runs 5mg and 10mg THC formats across three flavors — Citrus/Sativa, Strawberry/Hybrid, and Blueberry/Indica — pairing strain-type positioning with flavor, a merchandising approach borrowed from cannabis dispensary retail and now landing on mainstream shelves. The IVERSON Craft Sodas lean into nostalgia and cultural cachet with 10mg, 16-ounce cans in flavors like Bubba Chuck Berry and 96 Nectarine, targeting a consumer who wants an indulgent, occasion-driven format rather than a wellness-coded sip.
Distribution Architecture to Watch
Horticulture Co. has deliberately built across four channel types — liquor, convenience, specialty, and direct-to-consumer online — rather than concentrating in a single lane. That multi-channel distribution stack reduces exposure to any single retailer's category review cycle and gives the brand pricing flexibility across outlets. Total Wine & More and Spec's represent the premium liquor channel anchor; Circle K and BP Thorntons cover high-frequency convenience; Sprouts and ABC Fine Wine & Spirits fill specialty and regional grocery adjacency. For suppliers and brokers evaluating the hemp beverage space, this is a distribution playbook worth benchmarking.
Celebrity equity is being deployed strategically rather than cosmetically. Allen Iverson's cultural footprint gives the IVERSON line a shortcut through consumer awareness that would otherwise require significant paid media investment. Al Harrington — a longtime cannabis entrepreneur — adds credibility with cannabis-adjacent consumers who scrutinize sourcing and wellness claims. Operators stocking these SKUs gain a built-in marketing narrative at shelf without shouldering the cost of building it.
For buyers, distributors, and beverage directors tracking where functional adult beverage volume is actually moving, Horticulture Co.'s retail footprint expansion is a concrete data point. The hemp THC beverage category is no longer a specialty-channel experiment — it's showing mainstream velocity, and the brands with multi-channel distribution and celebrity-anchored identity are pulling ahead. Operators who haven't yet evaluated the THC beverage set for their licensed or non-licensed outlets should treat this growth report as a category readiness check.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
