A note at the top: We have changed the name of the blog from Mindful Matters to Cantrip Confidential. In honor of that, this post will be about names.
There is power in a name. I get a lot of questions on the name Cantrip. Particularly, where did it come from? Many believe it’s about the “trip in a can,” but that’s only a small part of the story. The name Cantrip, first and foremost, is suggestive of the stories that we tell together – and a beverage brand is nothing if not a story that we all write together – me as the founder, you as the reader and consumer, the Cantrip team – we are all writing the story of where this is going by interacting with the brand. So where does the name come from really? Let’s get into it.
The word cantrip is an old Gaelic word, meaning “a small or playful act.” In context, it was a word that more literally meant a potion or a charm. A lucky rabbit’s foot? That’s a cantrip. A potion that will make you irresistible to the person you desire? That’s also a cantrip. It shows up often in older works, or in more modern stories set with older backgrounds such as in Neil Gaiman’s Stardust. Cantrips fill the world with just a little bit more wonder.
Then there is the word cantrip as it pertains to Dungeons & Dragons. In the game of D&D, which has never been more popular than it is now, a cantrip is the simplest spell a character can cast – something that most anyone can do, doesn’t require additional resources, and is just a little bit of magic. Need to make a dark room light? Cast Dancing Lights. Want to make something a little colder? Try Ray of Frost. Or perhaps you just want to make something smell like rotten eggs – for that, we have the cantrip Prestidigitation.
Cantrip the beverage, in its original form, was three flavors all with the same 3 mg THC, 2mg CBD dose: Lemon Basil, Grapefruit Hibiscus, and Ginger Peach. While the products have evolved over the years to meet consumers needs, the philosophy remains the same – a Cantrip should be the easiest way to add a little magic to your life. A potion that makes the mundane magical and banishes the banal. A lift to the already good and an elevation to the extraterrestrial.
I love D&D because I love telling stories with friends. I love building a brand because I love that something simple, like a can of tasty liquid, has connected me with millions of people who try the recipes that come from my heart and my head. In the world of THC drinks, the story is still being written – the category is growing rapidly and facing constant conversations between brands, retailers, consumers and state legislators about what should be allowed and what shouldn’t. We are actively writing the history of a new class of beverages – THC beverages – which did not exist before and are an entirely new invention of humankind.
Cantrip is emblematic of the story we tell together in building a new world where alcohol is simply one option for relaxation. Every can purchased, every new flavor we make, every new state that creates regulations for these products contributes to that story. And we are all both characters and authors in this brave new world of cannabis sodas, seltzers, and beyond.
It is the honor of my life to tell this story with you all, and see the way you all tell it.
If you have a story to share, tag us on @drinkcantrip on Instagram or @CantripDrinks on Twitter.
The Cantrip DM,
Adam
