Hemp Beverages Take Center Stage at WSWA Access Live 2026

(Photo: Jens Kalaene/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

WSWA Access Live 2026, the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America convention in Las Vegas, is where the drinks industry gathers to take its temperature. Deals are struck in hallways. Alliances are tested in seminar rooms. The future of alcohol is debated under fluorescent lights. But first, you must find the convention center.

I landed in Las Vegas at 8:30 a.m. and took a cab to Caesars Forum. When I asked the driver if he knew where it was, he grumbled, which I took as confirmation. Minutes later he asked if I wanted to stop at a dispensary or pick up alcohol. I hadn’t had breakfast yet, so I declined. He dropped me at Caesars Palace. Assuming the Forum was inside, I entered the casino and was swallowed by flashing carpets, slot machines and blinking fruit symbols. Twenty minutes and several wrong turns later, a staff member pointed me back outside. The Forum was across the street. Had the driver simply told me to leave the parking lot and walk across a busy street, I would have saved myself the detour. At least I got my steps in for the day.

After I secured my badge and received a stern yet friendly reminder that replacing it would cost $125 were I to lose it, I entered the expo hall. The setup was transactional — no peacocking booths or theatrical builds. WSWA is about distribution, not display. The floor offered a clear snapshot of 2026. The expected spirits brands were out in force, polished and promotional. But what stood out was the growing presence of hemp-infused beverage companies: Willie’s Remedy, Ayrloom (with whom I had a thoughtful conversation) Delta and a wave of newer entrants testing the waters. No longer is this a fringe category tucked into a corner. Instead, it was integrated into the broader conversation.

Tucked toward the back of the hall was the seminar stage. The most consequential seminar I saw was a conversation between David Trone, co-founder of Total Wine & More, and Charlie Merinoff, CEO of Breakthru Beverage Group. If the expo floor showed what is happening, this session explored where it’s going.

Charlie Merinoff, CEO of Breakthru Beverage Group (left) speaks with David Trone, co-founder of Total Wine & More, during the “Leaders in Conversation: David Trone & Charlie Merinoff on New Industry Frontiers” panel at WSWA Access Live 2026.

Trone, direct and data-driven, described Total Wine’s investment in cross-merchandising and consumer analysis around hemp-derived beverages. His findings challenge assumptions. The core consumer, he said, is not the stereotypical cannabis user you image.

“It’s the Pinot Grigio and Bud Light drinker. It’s soccer moms, seniors, veterans. It’s mainstream America,” he said. “The genie is out of the bottle on this category.”

The THC beverages category, currently estimated at roughly $1.1 billion, is still in its infancy. Projections discussed on the stage suggested long-term potential could reach $30 billion. For a segment that effectively began in 2018, the trajectory is notable. Still, both leaders acknowledged the regulatory uncertainty. The path forward, they argued, is not prohibition but bringing hemp-derived beverages into the three-tier system that regulates alcohol and under FDA oversight.

Trone underlined that Federal legislation will not materialize overnight. It will require coordination, compromise and 60 votes in the Senate. His advice to industry stakeholders was simple: When a bill is introduced, engage. Call your members of Congress. Help shape the framework rather than resist it.

On my way out, I ran into former colleagues from Pernod Ricard and shared a glass. The earlier chaos of the day faded. What remained was clarity: The drinks industry is at a crossroads. The path isn’t fully built, but forward momentum is undeniable. Sometimes you just have to cross the street to see where it’s headed.