DROP IT LIKE IT'S POT

Snoop Dogg drops buzzy new hemp drinks with Texas-based company

Snoop Dogg is lending his name to a line of hemp-based drinks.

Photo courtesy of Hill Beverage Co.

50 Cent, take note. The way to stay relevant past a long-ago top-10 hit isn’t to start feuds with everyone from Ja Rule to Madonna. It’s easier to catch more flies with the honey of collaboration than the vinegar of aged beef.

From the class of hip-hop giants who cut their teeth in the ‘90s, no one does it better than Snoop Dogg. The Death Row Records star is now a certifiable mogul whose recent Super Bowl performance was universally lauded instead of savagely memed. And he’s not done being a household name yet.

On December 19, Snoop Dogg launched his latest venture, the hemp-infused beverage line Do It Fluid. Made in partnership with San Antonio-based company Hill Beverage Co., the brand promises an alternative to smoking without sacrificing the high. This is another step in a more "smokeless" direction for Snoop, who recently made headlines with a gimmick around quitting smoking.

The line, designed to appeal to the palates of both traditional cannabis users and novices, skips artificial additives in favor of natural sugars and fruit juices. Keeping in mind the myriad reasons customers use hemp products, Do It Fluid is available in a 12-ounce CBD-only version and punchier eight-ounce Delta-9 and THC blends.

According to a release, the Snoop Dogg collab is just the tip of the iceberg for Hill Beverage. The local producer is already in talks with other notable celebrities for future partnerships. Just spitballing here, but there would certainly be a market if Seth Rogan expressed interest in a pineapple concoction.

For now, Do It Fluid is available in four flavors — Tha Shiznit (blue raspberry), G’d Up (blood orange, Pump Pump (“peaches ‘n’ honies”), and Lodi Dodi (cherry limeade). Cue up “Gin and Juice” and order through hillbeverageco.com.

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Back to the Plow

Homey Austin jam and bake shop closing and returning to farmers market

Confituras/Instagram

Confituras Little Kitchen is closing its brick-and-mortar store, but feeling optimistic about the future.

A famers market find is returning to its natural environment after six years in a brick-and-mortar location. Confituras Little Kitchen, which specializes in locally sourced preserves, is closing its jam and biscuit shop after service on Sunday, December 22. However, it will continue selling goods at the Barton Creek Farmers Market and via retailers.

Confituras announced the change in a newsletter to its customers in December. The letter called the news "bittersweet."

"Although the brick and mortar will no longer be, the good news is that this will be a fresh new start for us – we are bursting with energy and creativity at the thought of being back out in the community where it all started for confituras," it said.

The kitchen is closing because the lease is up, and the team has decided to "give up the chase." The newsletter emphasized the ups-and-downs of business over the past several years — ones that were chaotic for just about any business, let alone a small, fairly niche food operation.

"So much has happened since we decided to open a brick + mortar – a wonderful kickstarter fundraiser, THE PANDEMIC, the AFTER-EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC, and an ever growing city," the letter says. "We tried so very hard but never really got our footing. We know we are not alone, many small business are in the same boat. We renewed our lease during the pandemic because we were hopeful we could make it work - the changing times had other ideas."

Finally, it shared how customers could keep enjoying Confituras creations:

The Barton Creek Farmers Market is open at 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy. every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm.
A list on confituras.net compiles retailers including Royal Blue Grocery, Farmhouse Delivery, and Antonelli's Cheese Shop.
Jam share and Table22 subscription customers will have more instructions coming soon about picking up their goods in January at the same space, 2129 Goodrich Ave.
Customers may also reach out to inquire about continuing to order meals directly.

The kitchen also hosted frequent events and workshops, but the letter did not address this aspect of the business.

A shorter message shared on Instagram has inspired 63 comments so far, five days later. Customers eulogized the shop for its community feel and providing a sense of regularity during the height of the pandemic thanks to weekend pick-ups.