On Coco Flow and Minnesota’s Explosive Infused Beverage Scene
The Hotbox with Dustin Hoxworth isn’t your polished PR interview. It’s me getting stoned and asking people the questions they probably aren’t ready for. These aren’t cold reads or copy-paste Q&As; I sit with my guests, usually multiple times, and I’ve likely met them in person, which gives me a window to learn who they really are before I ever send the questions. By the time the words hit the page, it’s smoke-thick honesty, not surface-level bullshit. These are cannabis conversations that showcase the voices, stories, and truths that won’t show up in the boardroom.
The Hotbox with Spencer Ploessl
Spencer Ploessl is a Minnesota-based marketing and creative consultant deeply embedded in the state’s fast-growing cannabis beverage scene. With a sharp understanding of consumer trends and a hands-on approach to product development, Spencer has contributed to some of Minnesota’s most interesting infused beverage projects, including the coconut water–based Coco Flow. His work reflects both the ingenuity and adaptability that have come to define Minnesota’s cannabis beverage culture. And since I got to try some Coco Flow, I wanted to learn more about it from the man himself.
We caught up with Spencer to talk about the inspiration behind Coco Flow, what makes Minnesota’s beverage scene so unique, and how one-off experiments like this reflect the evolving culture of infused drinks across the industry.
Hotbox Q&A: 5 Questions with Spencer Ploessl
Minnesota’s infused beverage market has exploded in a way few expected. What do you think is driving this rapid growth? Why has Minnesota, of all places, become one of the most exciting beverage markets in the country?
Minnesota’s success story really comes down to timing, community, and creativity. When the hemp-derived THC law passed, it was just ambiguous enough to open the door for innovation, and Minnesotans sprinted through it. Breweries, beverage makers, and entrepreneurs saw a new canvas to play on.
We already had this incredibly collaborative craft beer scene built on quality, storytelling, and hospitality. Instead of gatekeeping, that culture embraced cannabis beverages and suddenly, taprooms became the testing ground for what’s now one of the most exciting infused markets in the country.
It’s a perfect storm of curiosity and craft. People here aren’t chasing a high! They’re chasing experience. Whether that’s swapping a pint or glass of wine for a cannabis-infused seltzer after a hike or discovering something like Coco Flow that blurs the line between refreshment and ritual, it’s about connection and community.
Coco Flow is such a unique concept with coconut water and five cannabinoids. Where did the idea come from, and what was the creative spark behind deciding to make something so different in a space that’s usually dominated by flavored seltzers?
The idea for Coco Flow came out of a desire to make something that felt alive. Most THC beverages out there are built like hard seltzers… Clean, carbonated, and kind of sterile. We wanted to create something with texture, flavor, and function. It’s something that actually nourishes, elevates you, and can be a catalyst for pain mgmt.
I’m a huge coconut water consumer, even before this beverage came to life. My Camelback is full of it on MTB rides and my water bottle is full of it on the bench while playing hockey. It’s hydrating, it’s full of electrolytes, and it already has this chill, grounded energy. Pair that with cannabinoids like CBD, CBG, CBN, CBC, and THC, each playing a different role in the body and mind, and suddenly you’ve got a beverage that doesn’t just get you high, it gets you in-tune, focused, and dialed in.
The creative spark came from wanting to build a drink that could replace the ritual of cracking a cold beer, but deliver a different kind of flow… one rooted in balance, recovery, and good vibes. That’s Coco Flow.
Since Coco Flow was more of a one-off project, not a full-scale beverage brand, what were the goals going into it? Was this more of an experiment, a statement, or a chance to just try something different and see how people responded?
Coco Flow was a collaboration at its core… but a very intentional one. It wasn’t about building a brand line or chasing volume. It was about testing curiosity and building connection in a THC beverage space here in Minnesota that is already burnt out (no pun intended) on 5mg and 10mg cannabis-infused seltzers. Could we create something that felt like an experience rather than just a drink?
Back Channel Brewing, myself, and the entire team at Canna Connect wanted to make something that pushed the boundaries of what a cannabis beverage could be… both creatively and functionally. We weren’t trying to make “another seltzer.” We wanted to see how far we could stretch flavor, form, and feeling.
So yeah, it was part experiment, part statement. A way to say: this category can be artful. It can hydrate, elevate, and tell a story… all in one can. The response we got confirmed that people are hungry for that. They want beverages with depth and intention, not just 10mg of THC with a lollipop-dipped flavor profile.
Creating a beverage like this, even as a one-time run, takes coordination, formulation, and some risk. What were some of the challenges or surprises during the development process?
Yeah… even a “one-off” like this comes with a ton of moving parts. We were building something that didn’t really have a playbook. Coconut water and coconut milk aren’t the easiest ingredients to work with in a can. Stability, texture, and shelf life all become real challenges fast. Working with Marc, Back Channels’ highly experienced brewer, helped us dial that in. Then you layer in five cannabinoids, each with different solubility and sensory notes, and you’re in uncharted territory.
Back Channel’s team was incredible at translating the entire team’s creative vision into a beverage that actually worked technically. We wanted it to taste fresh, natural, and tropical, not artificial or overly sweet. And we wanted it to feel good in the body. Getting that balance right took a few benchtop iterations, but ultimately, we believed we landed on a solid experience.
The biggest surprise was how much people connected with it. We thought it might be too niche… coconut milk, all the minor cannabinoids, low carbonation. But it hit this emotional note with people. It felt different in a way that reminded them why this category exists in the first place: to explore, not just to replicate.
Minnesota’s beverage scene feels like it’s setting the tone nationally. From your perspective, what does the future look like for infused beverages in the state and the rest of the country? And do you see more creative, one-off collaborations like Coco Flow shaping the beverage market going forward?
Minnesota is absolutely shaping the future of the infused beverage category… not just because of what we’re making, but how we’re making it. There’s this fearless crossover happening between breweries, beverage brands, and cannabis creators that’s redefining what “craft” means. We’re seeing collaboration replace competition, and that’s where real innovation lives.
I think the future here and nationally is about expression and experience. The mainstream consumer doesn’t just want a THC seltzer that tastes like lime; they want something with a story, a function, a feeling. As the category matures, we’ll see fewer copycats and more creative collisions. Such as limited runs, collabs beyond just two beverage makers, and experiential drops that blur the line between art, beverage, and wellness.
Projects like Coco Flow show what’s possible when you stop playing it safe. And Minnesota’s the perfect sandbox for that, if ya ask me. Small enough to experiment, big enough to make waves. The future’s going to be fluid… literally and figuratively.
Coco Flow might not be an ongoing brand, but it represents something bigger: the spirit of experimentation that defines Minnesota’s cannabis beverage movement. Instead of sticking to the safe lane, Spencer and his collaborators created something unexpected; a functional, multi-cannabinoid coconut water that captured curiosity and reflected where this market is heading: fast, creative, and wide open.
