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September 14, 2026
WAUSAU – Facing the federal compliance deadline of Section 781 of the Appropriations Act for 2026 (H.R. 5371), a Central Wisconsin nonalcoholic beverage company is planning a pivot – Forward.
In response to the legislation, passed last fall, Forward Beverage Co. is closing its taproom at 303 N. 3rd St.
Co-owners Amy and Paul Yanzer said they will continue to offer their soft cocktails, sleep elixir and other functional nonalcoholic beverages online, and they have plans to develop at least one product that includes kava for online and B2B sales.
Amy said the federal definition of hemp is set to shift Nov. 12, meaning all intoxicating hemp products must be below 0.4 milligrams of THC per container or they will be considered marijuana, a Schedule I drug.
Currently, the law allows 0.3% of Delta-9 THC or less by dry weight, she said, meaning roughly 95% of products on the market will not comply with this new law.
Paul said Forward Beverage Co.’s best-selling product is their Purple Haze, which is a 25 mg THC seltzer.
“We knew that if federal regulations had not changed by the 4th of July, there would be very little hope that things would change,” he said.
A bill to extend the hemp ban for one month was passed by the Senate in July, Paul said, and, as of Sept. 2, the House passed it as well – but until presidential approval, the Nov. 12 deadline stands.
“There is another bipartisan effort to regulate the hemp industry in a similar way that alcohol is regulated at the federal level,” he said. “This would have to be included in the budget bill and passed to supersede the November ban.”
Focused on functional
Paul said that because 80% of the products sold in the taproom contain hemp-derived THC, the numbers dictated a necessary shift in their business model ahead of the November deadline.
“Our decision to pivot was made in the late spring and finalized this July,” he said.
The Yanzers said instead, they continue their line of Forward Beverage Co.’s functional nonalcoholic beverages – including kava as an ingredient in at least one of their forthcoming products.
Kava, Amy said, is a plant from the South Pacific, which traditionally is enjoyed similarly to tea.
“It has mild relaxing effects somewhere in between alcohol and THC,” she said. “The effects are generally described as relaxing and social like alcohol but without the intoxication and inhibition. Paul has been working on a way to get the kava to mix better in beverages and will be spending more time on the ingredient supply side of the business. We will also continue to sell our Lavender Haze Sleep Elixir and soft cocktails.”
Despite the change brought on by the hemp legislation, Paul said he’s excited to spend more time on the Lavender Haze Sleep Elixir – sharing his goal of marketing to a wider audience.
“I would also like to release an energy drink based on a pre-workout I formulated in the past,” he said. “I’m most excited to give more of my energy to my functional ingredient business. The kava emulsion I made solves some of the problems with manufacturing and formulating kava beverages and gummies, and I think I can help manufacturers and other brands transition to another industry while THC beverages remain uncertain.”
While there are no legal hurdles with kava at this time, Paul said some states are discussing limiting the amount of kavalactones in a serving due to concerns with how the liver processes it.
“Kava has been around for a long time as a traditional social beverage in some cultures, but it has also been used in the supplement industry for many years,” he said. “While kava is a safe product for many people, those with liver disease should not use kava products. It should also not be used while consuming alcohol.”
Paul said even if there were a last-minute legislative “save” for hemp producers in the state, regardless, there are outside challenges that leave businesses in an operational limbo.
Because they sell hemp products, Paul said Forward Beverage Co.’s current payment processor, Square, notified the business that its account will be closed Nov. 5.
Similarly, he said he and Amy have noticed other businesses are allowing their THC beverage shelves to stay empty.
“Even if the state were to pass commonsense hemp regulations, we would need to see how the federal government decides to regulate the industry,” he said. “We have created a fantastic line of products with a loyal customer base, but it is difficult to plan for the future of the business without a clear understanding of how the hemp industry will be allowed to exist in this country.”
Creating a community in the THC space
Through the taproom, Amy said they built a community of customers who found benefits in all the products they sold – those with THC and those without.
She said she and Paul have been told by customers that their THC beverages have helped people sleep better and even quit drinking alcohol.
“One woman told us that her friend on chemotherapy finally had an appetite and could finish a sandwich after trying our Salted Guava Sour Social Seltzer,” she said.
For the Yanzers, they said the taproom was more than a customer-facing space to sell their signature concoctions – over time, cultivating an environment for people looking for a space to enjoy alternatives to liquor and beer.
“I’ll miss the familiar faces who enjoyed our alcohol-free space and options, and hearing about their lives and stories,” she said. “So many people have shared so much of themselves with me when I stood behind our bar.”
Celebrating the beginning of a new chapter
As the Yanzers moved ahead with renewed vigor for the next era of their business, they said they’re working on redesigning their website ahead of the business transition.
Amy said the new website will be set up better for SEO and social media marketing.
“We have had challenges working with Meta’s restrictions on businesses selling and marketing hemp products and look forward to utilizing Google, Meta and Amazon marketing tools without the restrictions we faced with selling hemp beverages,” she said.
For those looking to enjoy a night out at Forward Beverage Co.’s former brick-and-mortar space, the Yanzers said it won’t be empty for long, as Venado Wine Bar is taking over the space in October.
The owners, the Yanzers said, are also a husband-and-wife-owned business, who opened about the same time they opened Forward Beverage Co.
The last day of selling products at the taproom, Amy said, was Sept. 13.
For now, Forward Beverage Co. products are available online at forwardbev.com or at their retail partners.
As they express their gratitude for their customers who trust them and their recommendations, Amy said she and Paul have learned so much through the taproom space and are looking “forward” to the next phase of their business.
“I’m excited about the potential we have to scale as we focus on B2B sales,” she said. “I am excited by how young this category is and how many people we know within it and where the category is going. My hope for the future is that we take all of the lessons learned from three years of running the taproom – and wholesale, e-commerce and B2B – and focus on doing one thing very well.”
