Kathy Flanigan

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Great Dane brewpubs will launch CBD-infused beer, cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages starting Dec. 13 at all five of the brewpub's locations — in Madison, Fitchburg and Wausau.

It's likely the first brewer in Wisconsin to add cannabidiol to beer.

The launch includes a celebration from 4:30 to 6 p.m. that day hosted by The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co., and its CBD partner, Madison-based GreenRX, at the The Great Dane Pub, 123 E. Doty St., in Madison.

CBD is cannabidiol, which is extracted from the flowers of hemp plants and is considered non-psychoactive. Marijuana, hemp and hops are related agriculture products.

MORE:CBD 'gold rush' could mean big business for Wisconsin's hemp industry

RELATED:A guide to Wisconsin breweries

At the top of the beverage list is Green Glory CBD APA (American Pale Ale) with 5.5 percent alcohol by volume and a spin on The Great Dane classic brew Old Glory. Green Glory is brewed with mosaic and simcoe hops, and each pint of the beer will contain 7 milligrams of CBD. A pint will cost $7.50.

"We absolutely feel we are the first brewery in Wisconsin to add CBD to beer," said Rob LoBreglio, brewmaster, vice president and co-founder of The Great Dane. Breweries in other states have already experimented with the oil.

"We purposely chose a CBD that was very concentrated with a maximum amount of milligrams of CBD in each pint of beer but at the same time giving it a very neutral flavor profile," he said. "The average person will probably not know that the CBD is in the beer. There's a slight bit of the CBD flavor interwoven with the combination of hops we're using."

The Great Dane is also including CBD in its winter cocktail lineup. That menu will include a classic Old Fashioned with orange-infused CBD; Maple Chai Toddy with cinnamon-infused CBD; Hot Cocoa with peppermint-infused CBD; Russian Roulette with Kahlua-infused CBD; Blackberry Honey with lemon-infused CBD; a cocktail called You Like a da Spice with lemon-infused CBD; and Harvest Mule with lime-infused CBD.

Each cocktail also will contain 7 milligrams of CBD. Customers at Great Dane brewpubs can add 7 milligrams of CBD to any cocktail, beer or soft drink for $2.

"Cocktails will definitely have a flavor contribution using CBD oils that we flavor in house," LoBreglio said.

The brewpubs also will offer flavorless oils that can be added to soda water or sodas. The CBD oil that Great Dane is using contains no THC or Tetrahydrocannabinol, which is sometimes found in cannabis.

LoBreglio said The Great Dane decided to experiment with CBD because of the oil's popularity as a health supplement. Others use it because they believe it helps with inflammation.

You have to go to the brewpub to try Green Glory or the specialty cocktails. The Great Dane will offer the beer only on tap at its locations. Federal law doesn't allow the brewpub to package beer with CBD in it or to sell it across state lines.