Ceria Grainwave Marijuana Beverage to be Featured at History Colorado Center

Keith Villa, the former brewmaster of Blue Moon Brewing Co., has branched out into the field of dealcoholized marijuana beverages with Ceria Brewing Co.

The brewery's first release was Grainwave, which served as a historic release as Colorado's first THC-infused craft beer.

Now, due to a contemporary collecting initiative from the History Colorado Center, the first release of Grainwave will "become a part of the permanent collection of the History Colorado Center, the Denver home of the state history museum to document and preserve items related to Colorado's historic 2012 decision to legalize the private consumption of marijuana," per a release from Ceria.

Keith Villa remarked in the release, "History Colorado Center's collecting initiative affirms what I've been thinking since leaving Coors in January 2018 - we really are making history with Grainwave."

The full release is below.

ARVADA, Colo. - When former Blue Moon Brewing Company brewmaster Keith Villa, Ph.D., retired from Coors after 32 years, he dreamed of making Colorado beer history with the state's first THC-infused craft beer. After a year in development, CERIA Brewing Company's CERIA (rhymes with "area") dealcoholized cannabis beer, a Belgian-style White Ale called Grainwave, sold out within its first four hours. It has since become available in 132 dispensaries statewide, with plans to expand to Nevada and California later this year.

Now Villa's cannabis brew has become a part of the permanent collection of the History Colorado Center, the Denver home of the state history museum. The museum is conducting a contemporary collecting initiative to document and preserve items related to Colorado's historic 2012 decision to legalize the private consumption of marijuana.             

Through August 2020 the museum is also featuring Beer Here! Brewing the New West, a comprehensive exhibition tracking Colorado's cultural and economic changes through the evolution of its beer industry. 

Recently, Villa, along with his wife, co-founder and CEO Jodi Villa, presented a four-pack of First Release Grainwave to James S. Peterson, Assistant Curator for Artifacts. The presentation included collateral material and imprinted premium items containing the brand's distinctive logo showing a modern interpretation of Ceres, the Roman goddess of the harvest, upon whose head sits a cannabis-leaf and hops crown.

Keith Villa remarked, "History Colorado Center's collecting initiative affirms what I've been thinking since leaving Coors in January 2018 - we really are making history with Grainwave."

As James Peterson donned white archivist gloves to accept the First Release Grainwave four-pack, he said, "This donation could help us tell a more inclusive, contemporary story about Colorado's $3 billion craft brewing industry - as well as its trailblazing cannabis industry. The CERIA four-pack has the potential to be a great addition to our collection."  

Later in the year, Dr. Villa will participate in the museum's oral history project focusing on Colorado business leaders.

CERIA's Grainwave is brewed as a beer with blood orange peel and coriander, then dealcoholized and infused with a microdosed 5 mg. of fast acting THC that leaves no cannabis flavor. Sixty-four calorie CERIA is currently available in limited edition 10 oz. (296 ml) aluminum bottles and four-pack cartons. A 10 mg. THC IPA, a 2.5 mg. THC American Light Lager, and other versions are also in the works.

THC is the key psychoactive ingredient from cannabis plants that affects how one feels by creating the unique sensation - the "high" - associated with marijuana.

CERIA, Inc., a Delaware C corporation, dba CERIA Brewing Company, is headquartered in Arvada, Colorado. For more information: Ceriabrewing.com, @ceriabrewing #ceriabrewing