I thought it was following me, but maybe I was following cannabis. When I moved to San Francisco recently, I learned that my neighborhood store, Other Avenues, carries a popular CBD beverage from Tamalpais Beverage Company.
Greg Moore founded the company in 2019. Now, he makes five different organic drinks which might help with relaxation but not inebriation. All the beverages are named for trails on Mt Tam. The ingredients are beneficial for the body.
“We sell our products at colleges and universities, like SF State,” Greg tells me. “They’re popular with students who sip and go to class without being on edge.”
The drinks are in stores both big and small, from San Jose to Sacramento. They come in five flavors: Blueberry Pomegranate — “Eldridge”; Orange Mango— “Hoo-Ko-E-Koo”; Apple Tumeric— “Dipsea”; Peach Ginger—“Bolinas”; and Coconut Melon—“Miwok.”
Greg explains: “Our products have a slight hemp taste. The people who seem to like them the most want an alternative to alcohol. That’s what we offer. Over the last year we’ve provided a natural way to help people relax. Our biggest competition is from the sparkling drinks that have CBD, but usually don’t have a taste profile.”
He’s been in the beverage biz for much of his adult life, often as a consultant. Raised in Marin, he attended Marin Catholic High School and UC San Diego. Now he lives in Mill Valley.
Greg enjoys beer and wine, but he often prefers a non-alcoholic drink that provides a sense of relaxation and that also contains wellness ingredients such as ginger, turmeric, l-theanine and electrolytes.
He does some of the distribution himself, aided by his team. That means driving in Bay Area traffic, which can be hellish. “I like visiting stores and talking with customers,” he says. “We donate a portion of our sales to local arts and recreation programs.”
The CBD in his beverages comes from the full spectrum of the hemp plant so you get the entourage effect. Greg tells me: “The whole plant has many benefits, including terpenes, adaptogens, and cannabinoids like CBN and CBG that are as beneficial as CBD. We keep it real, the way nature intended.”
Greg himself is a walking-talking advertisement for Tamalpais Beverage Company, which is headquartered in Sausalito, not far from the iconic mountain that overlooks much of the county.
When you’re ready to hike, Mt. Tam State Park offers 69 trails, including the Dipsea which lifts you up and takes you down gently. Bring a beverage, like “Coconut Melon Miwok” for hydration and relaxation, and, when you’re at Ocean Beach in San Francisco, visit Other Avenues, a great local food store and only a ten-minute walk from the Pacific.
Jonah Raskin is the author of Marijuanaland: Dispatches from an American War.
