Review: Cheech & Chong’s High & Dry and High Tea THC Beverages

It was perhaps inevitable that those icons of stonerdom, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, would work their way into the THC beverage industry. And so they have: Cheech & Chong’s High & Dry and High Tea products arrived this year with fanfare at Tales of the Cocktail, and the beverages — of which there are at least eight varieties — should be rolling out nationally.

The beverages are available in two separate lines. High & Dry are flavored seltzer waters, sold in 12 oz cans with 0 calories and 5mg of THC in each ($20 per six-pack). High Teas are spiked tea products that come in larger 16 oz cans and contain 10mg of THC in the full can ($16 per four-pack). These have about 60 calories per can due to some cane sugar sweetening included.

We tasted six of the available varieties — not all in one day, mind you.

Cheech & Chong’s High & Dry Mango Fizz – Mild terpene notes are balanced by mild mango soda notes, though the former win out after five seconds or so on the tongue. The mango note is mercifully unsweetened, giving the finish a bit of greener, unripe mango character to it. Overall surprisingly gentle in flavor and quite approachable. B+

Cheech & Chong’s High & Dry Magic Mule – A ginger and lime concoction that comes across mostly like a mix of Sprite and ginger ale. There’s not a whole lot of flavor in either direction here, though the ginger has a certain innocuous appeal, a bit like a flat Canada Dry. The THC makes itself known in a slightly toasty finish that evokes coconut husks. B

Cheech & Chong’s High & Dry Wondermelon – The unmistakable flavor of watermelon Jolly Ranchers is pervasive on this arguably strongest flavored of the High & Dry offerings, though it’s far from overwhelming, particularly after a minute or so has passed with the concoction in glass. The earthy/bitter terpene notes help keep the candied fruit in check on the palate, though the nose can’t shake the stuff: It’s constantly wafting up into the nostrils, creating a saccharine vibe that harshes the mellow, ya know? B-

Cheech & Chong’s High & Dry Raspberry Highball – Bracing raspberry candy flavor kicks off a very candylike beverage, but time letting some of the fizz die down helps to temper a bit of the overt sweetness. A mild terpene character infuses the whole thing, and further helps quiet down some of the saccharine fruit. All told it’s a fairly blunt expression in the way that Wondermelon also is, but that may appeal to those with a nostalgia for candy. B-

Cheech & Chong’s High Tea Tommy Palmer – A riff on an Arnold Palmer, of course, and the extra THC makes for a clearly stronger terpene note than you get in the High & Dry products. The beverage itself leans more into tea than lemonade, evoking a lemon tea quality more than a mix of the two drinks. There’s also a slight apple note here which isn’t unwelcome, but which reminded me considerably of apple juice. I’d enjoy this more with a little more sugar in the mix — but I suppose you can always add some of your own if desired. B+

Cheech & Chong’s High Tea Cheech’s Peaches – The dark color of the beverage is promising, but despite a whiff of candy on the nose, this doesn’t overwhelming come across like anything particularly peachy. Sweetened tea dominates the palate, along with an indistinct fruit component, again vaguely candied. The finish is rather saccharine, though short of cloying. Peach ring gummies, perhaps, linger. B

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