Province Brands of Canada Achieves Major Milestone
Seeks Patent Protection for Technology to Bring the First Cannabis Brewed Beverages to Market in 2020
CAMBRIDGE BAY, NUNAVUT – October 24, 2019 -- Province Brands of Canada, a leading researcher in cannabinoid science and the developer of first of their kind luxury beverages powered by cannabis, is proud to announce today the filing of a patent application in the United States (and soon to be expanded globally) for a novel strain of yeast designed to improve the Company’s first-of-its-kind process for the fermentation of cannabis and help Province Brands bring the world’s first beverages brewed from cannabis (in place of the seed or fruit of cereal grasses) to market. This is the second patent in progress for Province Brands of Canada.
The invention of, a strain of Scheffersomyces (Pichia) stipitis, already on file with the International Depositary Authority of Canada, is a novel proprietary technology which will allow the Company to more efficiently convert the stalks, stems and roots of the cannabis plant into a fermented beverage.
Nearly every commercially produced brewers’ yeast has been specifically engineered to ferment sugars from seed or fruit of cereal grasses (barley, wheat, rice, etc.), or pure sugars. Prior to the development of this yeast, Province Brands of Canada was limited to only working with these commercially available yeasts and was not able to achieve full fermentation of cannabis stalks, stems & roots. While it was still possible for Province Brands to brew delicious beverages using these commercially available yeasts, costly additional steps were required to remove unwanted byproducts of the fermentation. A strain of S. stipitis enables Province Brands to achieve a complete fermentation from cannabis stalks, stems and roots, lowering the costs, and improving flavor & product quality.
Brewed beverages containing cannabis are expected to see explosive growth once Canada becomes the first country in the world to allow for the sale of recreational cannabis edibles and beverages at a federal level later this year (edibles and beverages are allowed in certain U.S. States, but not allowed federally). This new proprietary yeast will allow Province Brands of Canada to more efficiently brew its beverages – which are in an entirely different category from the competition. Other brewed beverages will be fermented from barley, grains or sugar and infused with marijuana oil. This process may result in products that are unpredictable, unattractive and bad tasting. Province Brands uses no barley, sugar or grains and instead ferments cannabis plant matter to create the best-tasting, highest-quality brewed cannabis beverages available.
“The yeast themselves produce abundant flavor compounds and are signature to a beer. This technology allows Province Brands to combine traits of yeast cousins to improve the organoleptic qualities of their beers, produced from cannabis, to be distinctive and exclusive. I believe that the technology here is complimentary to Province Brands of Canada’s existing collection of technologies and previous developments,” said Dr. Erin Johnson, developer of the technology.
The patent application also involves biotechnology that selects and isolates the proprietary strains of yeast, should allow Province Brands of Canada to create the best-tasting, highest quality brewed cannabis beverages available.
Portfolio of Premium Cannabis Beverages
Today’s announcement comes ahead of the October 17, 2019 Canadian legalization of cannabis edibles and beverages. Recreational cannabis use became legal in Canada in October 2018 but legalization of edibles and beverages was delayed for one year from that initial legalization. Province Brands currently has a diverse premium portfolio of adult beverages.
About Province Brands of Canada
Province Brands of Canada is a mission-driven research and development / IP generation company developing a suite of innovative technologies with applications across the cannabis and adult beverage industries. The first technology we are bringing to market is a revolutionary technique for crafting the world's first fermented beverages brewed from cannabis in place of grains or barley. Province Brands of Canada is mining the untapped potential of the cannabis plant to achieve its mission - creating less harmful alternatives to alcohol.
