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The sale of hemp-derived beverages by the drink in Kentucky bars and restaurants will become banned on June 1 under Senate Bill 202, passed earlier this year by the Kentucky General Assembly. One of the top hemp product firms in the state, Cornbread Hemp, is responding with a “Countdown to Prohibition” event on Friday, May 30, to spread awareness and honor the last hours of legal THC seltzers in hospitality settings.

“We regret that legislative leaders have taken away a legal, safe, non-alcoholic alternative from adults who simply want to drink less alcohol,” said Eric Zipperle, CEO and co-founder of Cornbread Hemp. “But until our beverages become illegal on June 1, we want to celebrate one last happy hour with our friends at Hauck’s.”

The event, held at Hauck’s Corner at 1000 Goss Avenue in Louisville, will begin at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 30. One more Cornbread THC seltzer will be available for attendees to sample before the ban on by-the-drink sales starts.

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While the new law classifies hemp beverages as contraband in bars and restaurants, it allows a temporary exception for sales at festivals and fairs through the end of 2025. Cornbread Hemp plans to continue supporting events like Waterfront Wednesday and Abbey Road on the River during this window.

“Cornbread Hemp is interested in sponsoring events for the remainder of this year that secure temporary event licenses from the ABC,” said co-founder Jim Higdon. “If you’re a festival organizer, please reach out. But if you want any hemp product at an event next year, you need to talk to legislators today.”

Despite the on-premise sales restriction, Cornbread’s THC seltzers—which contain 5 milligrams of hemp-derived THC, 30 calories, and 5 grams of sugar—will remain available at retail liquor stores across Kentucky and online at cornbreadhemp.com.

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To help explain the implications of SB202 and what remains legal, the corporation has published an informative film on its website and social media channels.

The move comes barely a month after Cornbread Hemp unveiled its THC seltzers at Waterfront Wednesday, celebrating a temporary legislative triumph that left the beverages legal despite earlier efforts to ban them outright.

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This article appears in May 23 – Jun 5, 2025.

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Caleb is currently the Editor in Chief for LEO Weekly from Southern Indiana, AKA the Suburbs of Louisville, and has worked for other news outlets, including The Courier Journal and Spectrum News 1 KY....